


The Half-Finished, Half-Assed Guide to Being Half-Dead: By a Half-Ghost

by ItsyBitsyBatsySpider



Category: Danny Phantom, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Danny being a bad bitch, Danny needs a break, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Rewrite, dick is also very confused, idk - Freeform, let the boi rest, theres blood?, will add more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsyBitsyBatsySpider/pseuds/ItsyBitsyBatsySpider
Summary: A rewrite of my fic 'Of Heroes and Halfas (and headaches).Dick Grayson is thrown into a world he didn't even know existed, with powers that he can barely understand, and Danny Fenton did not expect to become a ghost mentor when the Justice League came knocking on his door.
Relationships: Artemis Crock & Dick Grayson & Kaldur'ahm & Kon-El | Conner Kent & M'gann M'orzz & Wally West, Danny Fenton & Dick Grayson, Danny Fenton & Tucker Foley & Sam Manson, Dick Grayson & Wally West, Kon-El | Conner Kent/M'gann M'orzz
Comments: 104
Kudos: 491





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this story a long time ago, nearly two years now, and I always had trouble getting the motivation and energy up to keep it going. But now that im done with school and have more free time and energy, I wanted to rewrite this and give you all a story worth reading and waiting for. 
> 
> Updates will be weekly on Fridays, and i hope this story meets your expectations.  
> Enjoy!

When Dick Grayson woke up in the Mountain he did not expect to be in the medbay. Or sore. Or covered in bandages stained red and green. 

Blurred darkness was the first thing he saw and the taste of cotton filled his mouth uncomfortably. His head felt like a hammer had been pounding against it for hours and there was a firm pressure resting against his forearm. His body felt heavy, almost as if there was a lead blanket lying on top of him and moving even the littlest bit would take great energy from him. 

He could barely even flutter an eyelid. 

_ What… what happened?  _ He thought as he felt the pressure on his arm shift. He realized that it was a hand, a leather clad one, as a thumb began to rub up and down against his skin in a soothing manner. The action vaguely reminded Dick of sick days, ridden with the flu and warm blankets covering his shoulders as he was handed a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Or of late nights down in the cave when a particular mission went sour and he needed to be patched up as he sat on a plush cot. 

_ Bruce _ . Dick thought. It was the only person who could've been sitting beside him. That or unless Alfred flew all the way here. Or took the zeta tube. Which in all honesty probably wouldn't be too far out of the ordinary considering. 

Dick struggled to do something; lift a finger, breath a word, or even to open his eyes, just anything to let Bruce know that he was awake. But anything beyond breathing felt almost impossible to him. It was as if he couldn’t move his body, no, that wasn’t right. He couldn’t. 

_ Bruce, I’m here.  _ He thought.  _ Please…  _

His silent pleas were interrupted when the sound of a door opening pierced the heavy silence in the room. Powerful footsteps strode across the floor and Dick listened to them as they came to a stop right next to his guardian. 

“Any change?” the visitor asked, now proven to be Superman. Dick heard the rustle of fabric and a chair move closer to the side of the bed. 

“None,” Bruce said. A heavy sigh filled the room and Dick could almost feel the weight that was undoubtedly laden across Bruce’s shoulder. “J’onn says that all we can do now is wait, but I’m not sure how much longer I can bear this.” 

Dick felt his breath hitch. 

“I understand,” Superman said. “Hopefully it won’t be much longer now. He’s a strong kid Bruce, I know he’ll make it through this.” 

Dick could sense Bruce nodding to Superman’s words, and he wished nothing more than for the strength to simply breath a word. For his body to open it’s damn eyes or for his hands or feet to twitch, or hell even an itchy nose would be helpful! ANYTHING! 

But all Dick could do as he felt Bruce shift again in the seat beside, with his hand still resting on his arm, was breath and pray that he could let his guardian know that he was here. 

“Are you still planning on taking him to the Cave?” Superman asked. Bruce nodded again. 

“Yes. There’s too much exposure here. Even if it is the Mountain, and I can’t let his teammates know his identity. Not yet at least.” 

“They are still his friends Bruce. Sure I understand protecting identities, but when it comes to something like this? This big? They need to be at his side.  _ He  _ needs them at his side. Even I know that you can’t wear a mask forever.” 

Bruce was silent at that, and Dick could feel his heart flutter at the idea of letting his friends see his face. Sure he loved his team, and he wished that he could hang out with Wally and M’gann and even Artemis without having to watch his every word. He’d love to go see a movie with them without wearing sunglasses or being able to talk about his school day without worrying that they’d figure it out. 

But not yet. 

Not just yet. 

“No.” Bruce said. “They shouldn’t find out like this. And they will, but only when he’s ready. And I don’t think he is yet.” 

The air was silent in the room as Superman processed what he had just heard. “I understand.” 

The grip around Dick’s arm tightened, and Dick felt both safe and anxious at the motion. “We’re moving him later tonight. He can’t stay here much longer and I’m hoping that being in the Cave and with Alfred will help.” 

“I hope so too.” 

Dick heard the soft scrape of the chair as Superman stood up, and made his way to the door. The faint rustle of fabric was the last thing he heard as the door opened and closed, leaving Dick and Bruce alone once again in the silence that Dick wished to fill. He heard Bruce sigh, and the hand on his arm relaxed. 

It was silent for a long time afterwards, and hardly anything filled the deafening silence as Dick continued to pray for his body to move, but to no avail. He had never experienced sleep paralysis before, but if this is what it was like, then it sucked. And soon enough, the lull of the heart monitor and even breaths coming from Bruce began to edge away at Dick’s anxiety and wakefulness. The warmth of the blankets muffled his worries as he once again slipped away in sleep. He wondered when he would see his friends again. 

* * *

“Do we even get to see him?” Wally asked, frustration growing evident on his face. J’onn looked at the teen, wearing a collected expression to mask the sadness and empathy he felt for the team before him. He knew they wanted to be there for their friend, and that their presence would likely affect Robin’s condition beneficially, but he also knew that Batman had requested otherwise, for equally reasonable arguments. 

“No.” J’onn said coolly, already expecting the anger and worry to emanate from the team. 

“What?!” Artemis and Wally exclaimed at the same time as Kaldur’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open.    
“Why not?” Connor demanded, his eyes narrowed and teeth grit. Despite having been with the team for nearly two years, sometimes his anger still got the better of him. 

M’gann, surprisingly, was the only one to not burst. Her hand covering her mouth in a display of shock, even though J’onn could feel that she had accepted this course of events as it was. 

Yes, she was worried for her friend, but she also understood and respected that some things were better left kept secret until the time was right for them to be revealed. 

J’onn turned his attention back to the group of teenagers.

“Because Batman does not agree yet that it is time for you all to know his and Robin’s identities. He is sure that the time will come, just not now.” 

Connor crossed his arms and shut his mouth with a click, but J’onn could still sense the anger rolling beneath the stony exterior. 

“So now what?” Wally asked. “We just can’t see him anymore until he’s all better? What if he doesn’t get better, huh? What if he doesn't wake up? What if I don’t get to see my best friend again!? What then!? Is Batman gonna let us see him then or what!?” 

“Wally,” M’gann began to say, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. But Wally shrugged it off. 

“No! I want to see my friend! I’m not leaving his side until he wakes up.” He stared up at J’onn, and the Martian had to give Wally credit for not backing down as he met his gaze. It was admirable.    
“If you wish to see Robin while he’s healing, then perhaps you should work out a compromise with Batman. Perhaps it will do Robin some good to have a friend at his side, even if he cannot sense it.” 

At that Wally seemed to calm down, but it did not take telekinesis or empathetic powers to tell that he was still unhappy. His defenses lowered and J’onn could feel the hostility fade away, even if the frustration and worry remained. The rest of the team seemed to sense that the worst of the tension had passed and most of them decided to sit down. 

“When will Batman be taking him back to the Cave?” Kaldur asked. His voice even and tempered, despite his eyes and facial expressions giving away how worried he was. 

J’onn softened as the team turned to look at him, all of them thinking the same thing and craving the same answer. 

“Robin will be going back tonight. And until then, you all may stay with him. Given that he is wearing his mask.” 

They all nodded at this, even Connor, and only Wally seemed stiff and unsatisfied with the turn of events. J’onn knew that he wanted to be there to support his friend, he understood the feeling all too well, but this situation was out of J’onn’s hands. He simply could not make the changes or give them the answers they wished to hear, no matter how much he wanted to. 

“Can we see him now?” Artemis asked. J’onn nodded. 

“Once Batman leaves, you may go to see him.”    
Wally scoffed at that. “Yeah right, Bats hasn’t left that room in nearly two days.”

J’onn gave him a look. “Then I will make sure that he gives you all time.” he bowed his head to them all. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” 

He left the teens without another word, finally feeling as if he could breathe freely once he left all the tumultuous emotions behind. Being around humans 24/7 was tiring sometimes to say the least, and every moment of peace he could find, J’onn took gladly. However, even though he was exhausted by the overwhelming wave of emotions, he could understand them. He understood the frustration, the worry, the fear, and even the guilt, sometimes he understood better than most. So even with the exhaustion that came with dealing with superhero teens after a traumatic mission, he understood. And sometimes that was all anyone could do for them. 

J’onn straightened his shoulders and took in a deep breath. He was off to visit the Dark Knight about a compromise. 

* * *

“Is he gone?” 

“Yes, but Wally, please don’t do this. You know you’re gonna get caught.” M’gann said as she stood up to stop Wally. He looked about ready to book it, and that probably was what he was planning to do. 

Wally shook his head, his mind already made up. “Nuh uh, not this time. I’m not waiting any longer to see him.” 

“You’ll just ruin your chances of ever visiting him again while he’s at the Cave.” Artemis said. Her arms crossed and a sour look on her face. But Wally actually seemed to freeze at that. 

“What?” 

“Yeah, think about it for a second. If you zoom in now to see Robin, while he’s not wearing a mask, do you really think Bats will let you see him at the Cave after a stunt like that?”

“Bats won’t know.”  _ And besides,  _ Wally thought,  _ I already know who they are.  _

“Are you shitting me? Of  _ course  _ he’ll know. He’s Batman of all people! And you know how important their identities are to them and you’re just gonna ignore that and violate them that way? You’re gonna violate Robin’s trust that way?” 

Wally opened his mouth to protest. “I-”

“I know you want to see him. Hell, we  _ all  _ do! So don’t blow it because you got impatient.” Artemis said, an accusing finger pointed at his face. Wally felt his fists clench as anger began to boil inside of him.

“I am NOT!” 

“Yeah? Well it seems like you are.” 

“Guys, let’s just take a seco-”

“No you just don’t get it! None of you do! I have known Robin the longest since before this team was even an idea, and he is my  _ best friend!  _ So how can i just leave him there!?”

Connor stood up suddenly from his spot on the couch and towered over Wally. “He’s our friend too! Don’t think that just because you’ve known him the longest that you care about him more than we do!” 

“But how can you guys just sit here doing nothing while Robin is in there in a coma!?” 

“He’s not in a coma he’s just asle-” Kaldur began but he was quickly stopped by Wally. 

“Asleep? Oh come on, you guys can’t be that dumb!” Wally’s vision began to blur as the reality of everything began to settle and the last 48 hours collapsed on him. He didn’t even have the energy to be embarrassed as his voice cracked. “He hasn’t moved in two days, there’s barely any brain activity, his heart beat is slower than normal, and his body temperature is down by, like a lot! For all we know he’s dying!” 

“But he  _ isn’t _ !” M’gann shouted. Artemis and Wally seemed to freeze at her outcry, finally turning away from their argument to look at their teammate. “If he was,  _ I  _ would know. Uncle J’onn would know! And yes it’s just so unbearable right now. But if we want to keep seeing Robin, we  _ have  _ to prove that we can be trustworthy. If you go in there right now instead of waiting like we were told to, then who knows when we’ll see him again. If Batman would even  _ let  _ us see him again.” M’gann placed a hand on Wally’s shoulder. “I know you’re in pain Wally, we all are. But we must be patient. Robin  _ will  _ wake up. And we  _ will  _ see him again.” 

“How can you know be sure?” 

The Martian gave him a soft look. “Because I have to be.” 

Wally felt his shoulders slump in defeat, the fire fueling the argument having dissipated and leaving him feeling more exhausted than he was before. M’gann placed her hand on his shoulder again, and this time he didn’t shrug her off. “When was the last time you slept?” 

Wally shrugged with a shake of his head. “I don’t know. Before the mission?” 

“How about you get some rest. You can’t help Robin while sleep deprived.” At that Wally light scoffed, but nonetheless, he still let M’gann lead him over to the couch and sat him down. He leaned against her shoulder and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was asleep. 

* * *

Bruce hovered as his ward was transferred over to a cot. Despite being treated with the best medical equipment and expertise available to him, Dick’s condition seemed to be at a standstill. 

There were a few terrifying hours when he had gotten exponentially worse, his heartbeat slowing down to a pace that made Bruce’s rise in fear, and his skin becoming paler and colder than was comfortable for the Bat of Gotham. Not to mention, the burn scars that would inevitably mar his body for the rest of his life. Just seeing the bandages stained red and strange tint of green made Bruce’s stomach clench. 

It was no surprise or secret that Batman had dealt with some of the most gruesome and sickening cases in Gotham, or the world for that matter, and Bruce knew that with the right mindset he could take on anything. He had trained for it. 

But seeing Dick in that bed, unmoving for days, on the cusp of death… It was something that he did not wish to be prepared for. 

He had known that when he took him in, and when he eventually became his partner, that Bruce would not be able to prevent every harm that came Dick’s way. He knew that sooner or later something would happen and there would be nothing he could do about it. 

All the preparations he had though, all the contingency plans and cautions that Bruce had trained him in and all the reflexes that he hoped would help Dick in situations where Bruce could not… he had hoped that that would be enough to save Dick. 

But evidently not. 

He had gone back to look through the recording from Dick’s mask. Even went so far as to try and salvage any security footage from the facility the team had gone too; but he could barely find a clip. It seemed that with the destruction of the facility, also came the destruction of all research and evidence that it had ever been there in the first place. To anyone else, it was as if a random group of arsonists had decided to blow up an empty building. It was the only story believable enough for the public to accept. 

And no matter how much time Bruce spent looking through each frame of the video recording of that mission, the best he got was that something had electrocuted Dick. Severely. 

There were barely any leads to follow, about the research conducted at the facility and who was behind it. Hell, the whole mission stemmed from whispers and rumours about a rogue government agency, and the mission had proved that there was either something substantial to those rumours, or it was just a huge waste of time that almost got his kid killed. 

Bruce ran a hand through his hair, having taken off the cowl a long time ago, and he stared at Dick’s face. Still the same as it was hours ago. 

His skin pale, the bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, undoubtedly hiding the worst of the injuries that will scar once fully healed, and a breathing mask giving him the oxygen that he seemed to be lacking. Dick’s breath barely even fogged the inside. 

Bruce watched as he was carefully laden across the cot, and a blanket covering his body up to his chest, hiding the bandages. Bruce leaned over and placed a pair of dark sunglasses over Dick’s eyes. Doing his best to not shift the oxygen mask. 

As Bruce stepped back, pulling up his cowl once more, it struck him just how young Dick really was. Of course it wasn’t something he ignored, but seeing his ward lying there, barely even sixteen, looking like death itself, made Bruce wish that he didn’t bring Dick into this life. 

One of the rare times when Bruce Wayne had wished that Dick never became his partner. 

The gurney rolled out of the room, attended by J’onn and Dinah, and he was met with the sight of the team already waiting for them beyond the door. 

They looked apprehensive, almost as if they were expecting to be sent away, but Bruce wasn’t that heartless to not let them say goodbye to their friend. 

“Can… can we say goodbye?” Wally asked. Bruce was unsurprised that he was the first to speak up. The Dark Knight gave a nod. 

“You all may walk with us to the Zeta.” 

And just like that it was as if the air was breathable again. The solemnity still hung in the air around them, but if felt less tense, and like a fight was about to break. And as the young heroes accompanied Bruce and Dick over to the Zeta tube, they all took a place at the sides of the gurney, looking down at their friend. It didn’t take a mind reader to see how much they all cared for each other. 

The walk from the medbay to the Zeta was both achingly long and all too short at the same time. 

As they all stood in front of the Zeta, J’onn bowed his head to Bruce and went to stand beside his niece while Dinah gave him a look of understanding. 

“Let us know how he does,” is all she says. 

“I will.” 

After that, the teens looked anxious to leave the gurney’s side, especially Wally, and Bruce understood their worry and concern. He looked at Wally, and the speedster met his gaze. 

“If you wish to visit Robin, feel free to discuss it with me.” he turned to the rest of the team, who had looked up at him once he had spoken. “Just because he won’t be here, does not mean that you are forbidden from seeing him.” 

Some of them nodded in understanding, and for the most part, looked surprised at the fact that Batman of all people indirectly said that they could visit the Cave. Wally however, looked relieved. Bruce was concerned that Wally thought he wouldn’t let him see Dick while he was recovering, but maybe that will be a conversation for another time. 

“Now get some rest. It’s been a long day.” 

The teenagers nodded their heads, but waited as Bruce made his way over to the Zeta tube. The last Bruce saw of them was standing side by side as they disappeared from view in a flash of gold. 

* * *

_ 2 days earlier…  _

In another side of the country, a young man is awoken from his light slumber. The moon glistens through his bedroom window, and he barely stops himself from releasing a groan as he realized that he had been woken up by something. 

_ I swear to Fuck,  _ he thought,  _ if it’s the fucking Box Ghost of all things, I’m going to lose my fucking mind.  _ He tossed onto his side and tried burying his face into his pillow.  _ Good God just let me fucking sleep.  _

But he was kept from sleep as he suddenly noticed what had woken him up. 

A feeling. 

A strange one buzzing inside his chest.

Danny’s brow furrowed in confusion. It reminded him of his ghost sense, but there was something off about it. It felt almost identical to his ghost detecting ability, but not quite. Instead of the icy chill that ran down his spine, it was like electricity buzzing inside of him and dancing at his fingertips. 

But just as quickly as it had appeared, it began to fade away, leaving Danny confused and wondering what the strange sensation could’ve meant. He turned onto his other side, and let out a sigh. It was too early to be doing anything, and he needed to sleep. He had a test in the morning, and he could not fail it. Maybe once he had some time to think he’ll try to figure out what the weird sense meant, but for now that would be Future Danny’s problem. 

The teen once again flipped onto his other side, adjusting into a comfortable position and waited for the blanket of sleep to cover him once again. 

_ It may be something serious, but that's a future me problem.  _

Too bad he didn’t know just how much of a future problem it would turn out to be. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!   
> Right on schedule!! Damn thats the first time ive ever held a schedule to stick to. Hope it stays thats way!   
> Thank you all for the kudos and comments and bookmarks from the last chapter and ive been so excited to post this one all week!!   
> Enjoy!!! <3<3<3

The days following Dick’s departure from the Mountain were a grim few. The last the team had heard, his condition had not improved in the slightest and it was becoming more and more unlikely that he would wake up from his coma any time soon. Whatever had affected him, did not seem to be leaving his body. 

Wally had already been over to visit multiple times, going to see Dick whenever he had the free time to visit his friend, and every time he went over he was welcomed by Alfred and occasionally Bruce. Even Zatanna managed a visit when she could.

And in the meantime, Bruce had had to come up with a cover story to tell the public, when they had questions about why the young, charming Dick Grayson had not been seen for almost a week. It was a harrowing cover story that Bruce did not wish he had to do, but did nonetheless. And while Bruce Wayne had the civilian absence covered, Batman had been working on looking for anything that could help his ward (son) get better. 

He dove into the whispers and rumours that surrounded the facility, and tried to come up with any substantial information that could lead to what Dick had been exposed to and had incapacitated him in such a way. The best answers he got were half-assed answers about spectral science and the study of the metaphysical, which translated to bullshit in Wally’s book. 

A rogue government agency with mysterious funding studying the paranormal? Yeah, that didn’t sound right in the slightest. It was why they had been sent on the mission in the first place. But now with the facility destroyed and barely any information recovered, it seemed less and less likely that they would find answers. 

Bruce even went so far as to look for paranormal experts to see if any of their research held any truth or usefulness to them. But the closest he could find were either hoaxes or one couple who dedicated their life to hunting and creating offensive weapons  _ against  _ the paranormal. Which was not what Bruce had in mind. He did not wish to hunt them, but to understand. 

Which meant the best, and only, lead Bruce had was in a small town in Illinois, where there seemed to be confirmations about paranormal happenings in the town, with citizens even going so far to say that they had their own superhero who defended against them. If a small town like that had a superhero who dealt with metaphysical occurrences on a daily basis, then perhaps they would have more answers and experience with what had affected Dick. 

When Bruce brought up the lead with Alfred, the butler said without hesitation: _ “No matter how faint the strand, if it will help Master Dick, you must follow it.” _ Which left Bruce feeling more resolve than he had in days. 

The only name given from citizens on chat rooms, (who even still used those anymore? What was this 2005?) in regard to the vigilante, was ‘ _ Phantom’ _ . A fitting name for someone who was said to fight paranormal creatures, and after some research into this Phantom character, Bruce had deemed that he was a more substantial lead than anything else so far. 

But when Wally had found out, as had the rest of the team, that they would essentially be going on a ghost hunt, they did not seem happy about it. 

“So hold on a minute,” Wally said, raising a hand to pause the conversation. “You mean to tell us that we’re gonna go to this town, that no one’s ever heard of, to find a D-list vigilante that is barely on the Justice League radar in hopes that he might have information on how to help Robin?” 

“Precisely.” Batman said, hardly paying attention to the tone in Wally’s voice. “Phantom has proven to be effective, albeit destructive, when apprehending the paranormal entities that seem to afflict his town, and almost every citizen within city limits has confirmed that he exists.” 

“So what do you want us to do?” Kaldur asked, as respectful as ever. Batman straightened his shoulders and stood to his full height. The Mountain was quiet for a beat as the team awaited the answer. 

“I want you to apprehend Phantom.” Silence rang in the air. 

“That’s it?” Wally asked, arms crossed. “You don’t want us bringing him to the Mountain? Or to Robin so that he can help him?” 

Batman turned back to the mission data displayed on the screens. “That will come in due time. But until then, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Zatanna, and Superboy will go to Amity Park, while Kaldur?” The Atlantian straightened. “You and Artemis will be investigating more into the agency behind the facility. See if you can find anything else about where the funds came from and who was supporting them. If we can find that out, then we can find the person behind all this,” 

“Yes, sir,” he said, with the rest of the team confirming their understanding of their mission. 

“Good. Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Zatanna, and Superboy? You are to leave for Amity by tonight and reach them in the morning. Good luck. You are dismissed.” 

* * *

Wally set down his duffel bag next to his seat on the bioship and collapsed in the chair, chin propped up in his hand. “Soooooo, am I the only one who thinks we’re crazy for looking for a mythical superhero who apparently fights ghosts for a living?” 

“Uh oh, is this gonna be another mission like with Doctor Fate?” Zatanna asked, an eyebrow raised as she took her spot across from Wally. Wally shrugged. 

“I’m just saying, that a guy who fights, what? Ghosts? Spirits? Demons? Is gonna help us? What are we gonna do, talk to him? Hell, I doubt he’s even the real deal. Probably just some hoax who uses LED lights or holograms to do his stunts or whatever.” 

“I’m the real deal and you don’t see me using LED’s,” Zatanna said, a smile tugging at her lips. 

“Yeah that’s because you're cool though.” 

Connor glanced at Wally, his brows furrowed. “Then how do you explain all the damage his battles cause? You can’t cause those with holograms?” Wally scoffed. 

“I’m sorry, but have you seen  _ Spider-Man: Far From Home _ ? You can definitely use a good hologram to cause some damage.” 

Zatanna nodded, “Okay, fair enough. I’ll give you that. So then how do you explain everything else? Amity seems to be a prime spot for supernatural activity, and I’ve had my fair share of running into ghosts and spirits. Hell, what do you make of Klarion? Or my magic? I know that we’ve had this conversation many times before but if it’s all some trick, then what's the science behind it?” 

Wally, hummed in thought. “A valid argument. And here are my answers. One, Klarion is an interdimensional being, so his powers are basically explained there, doesn't count. Two, ghosts just can’t exist, because when the body dies, that’s it. That's how it is for everyone and no one is exempt from that. Three, your magic can be explained by you being of alien descent without knowing it and ‘magic’ could just be your way of focusing it.”

Zatanna sighed, remembering a certain Halloween and little ghost girl while M’gann shook her head as she began to power up the bioship. “I don’t understand why I keep trying.” 

“Neither do I,” Connor said. Wally gave another shrug as he leaned back, using his jacket as a blanket in an attempt to get some sleep before they reached Amity. 

“Either way, I stand by my original point. Ghosts just can’t exist.” 

* * *

Amity Park, in a word, looked quaint. It was a small town with few skyscrapers and barely any major attractions that would deem it a touristy place. There was nothing notable that made it seem important, and all in all it didn’t seem like the kind of place that was riddled with supernatural entities. 

However, Zatanna and M’gann felt otherwise. 

The second they were over the city, obviously camouflaged from the public view, Zatanna could feel the death within the city. Clinging to the buildings and air like moss on an old stone and the town reeked of it. Whatever facade the town held, no matter how quaint and charming it might’ve seemed to the mortal eye, it was anything but. 

Zatanna knew that Wally was adamant about the existence of spirits, but if this place proved anything, then he would come to realize that he was wrong. 

The Bioship landed not too far from the city, and the four teens filed out, all of them wearing their civies and trying to seem unassuming despite their true selves. Zatanna thought that was ironic and fitting since Amity was the same way.

They strolled through the outer streets of the city, trying to get a feel for it before fully diving in headfirst, and the deeper they went the more Zatanna felt her skin crawl. She exchanged a look with M’gann, and could tell that the Martian was feeling the same thing. 

“So!” Wally said, “Where should we start first?”

M’gann eyed the buildings warily. “Well, most news articles from Amity say that Phantom appears multiple times each day, but specifics as to where are a bit more unclear.” 

“It seems like wherever a ghost is, he appears to stop them a few moments later. There’s no pattern.” Zatanna said. 

Connor’s brows furrowed in thought. “So then where do the ghosts usually show up?” he asked. 

“A good question. But since there’s such little outside information about this place, and of Phantom, it’s hard to say.” 

Wally sighed. “I know that this place is just a crappy tourist trap or whatever, definitely not a good one, but if we need information, what's the best place to do that?” 

“Let’s head to the library.” M’gann said. “We could dig through news stories and research local blogs and maybe we’ll be able to narrow down where Phantom shows up.” 

“That sounds like a plan.” Zatanna agreed. “Better yet, why don’t we split up and two of us look for Phantom actively while the rest go to the library.”

Wally nodded. “That sounds good to me. Me and Connor will go look for Phantom and we’ll meet you guys back here in a few hours.” 

“Alright, it’s set.” Zatanna said while she and M’gann began walking away. “Comm us if you need backup.” 

“Obviously.” 

* * *

The library wasn't too far from where they had entered the city, and after walking up the steps and into the building, M’gann and Zatanna could tell that barely anyone used it. 

A disgruntled looking librarian sat behind the front desk, a pile of books stacked before her, as she tiredly slipped them from the pile, opened the pages, and typed something into the computer before moving on to the next book. And a small study group of college students, sat together and were chattering quietly over some coursework that they had gotten last week. 

“Well, at least we won’t be bothered.” M’gann said. Zatanna huffed a laugh and gave the Martian a lopsided smile. 

The next few hours were filled with old news clips, both online and paper, biased journalism, unfounded claims, fan blogs, fan accounts, theoretical studies, and wildly different opinions on the vigilante Phantom. 

Some people claimed that he was a nuisance to the town, doing nothing more than property destruction, public endangerment, and disturbing the peace. It was even recorded that he threatened the mayor at one time and stole from a jewelers store. The reason why, for both were unclear, but the actions alone seemed enough for some of the public to deem him a danger to society. 

The other side of the people of Amity however, told a different story. They claimed that he truly was a hero, and that the other side of Amity was wrong about their local hero. Many witnesses claim that he saves people. From burning buildings, to protecting them from the ghost attacks, to even going so far as to almost sacrifice his own afterlife to save the town. Zatanna wasn’t sure how reliable these accounts were, same with the ones saying he was a menace. Because the evidence seemed inarguable in both accounts and unreliable narrators were all too common in small towns. 

Yes, Phantom did attack the former mayor, but he also stopped a ghost from demolishing a bus full of kids. 

Yes, Phantom stopped a robbery and saved a woman from a stray bullet, but he also destroyed Axion Labs without any reason or provocation. 

Which is why so far, Zatanna felt unsure about whether or not going to Phantom was a good idea. He was a wildcard, with no telling about what he’ll do when confronted by the team, and one thing they couldn’t rely on were wildcards. M’gann seemed to come to the same conclusion, as she finished reading multiple fan and eye witness accounts of some of his debacles, and they both shared a look that read the same. 

Whatever and whoever Phantom was, they had to be careful. They couldn’t afford to make mistakes now, not when Robin’s life was on the line. 

Zatanna let out a sigh and stretched her arms high over her head. “Did you find anything we can use to locate Phantom?” she asked. M’gann glanced at her computer screen. 

“Probably. After reading through a lot of fan blogs and tweets from some high schoolers here, it seems like Phantom shows up more around the local high school than anywhere else. Sure it’s not by a lot, but it’s what we have now. It’s worth checking out.” 

Zatanna nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll contact the boys, let them know to meet us at the school. Which one was it?” 

“Casper High.” Zatanna snorted. M’gann gave her a confused look. “What’s so funny?” 

Zatanna shook her head. “Oh nothing, it’s just ironic. I’ll explain it later.” 

And as they were leaving the library, one of the college students that had been sitting close to them, a redhead dressed in teal and black, pulled out her phone and sent a message to her younger brother. 

* * *

“Would you guys mind if I just like, ceased to exist right now?” Danny said as he slumped down next to Tucker at their usual lunch table. Tucker took a bite out of his burger. 

“Nah man go for it, I support your decision.” 

“Thanks, Tuck.” 

Danny laid his head down on the table, and let out a big sigh. Sam shot him a sympathetic look. 

“Long night?” she asked. Danny shook his head. 

“No, just a long morning. I actually did manage to get some sleep last night though, so that was new, but I was late because Klemper wanted to try out a new game.” 

“Ooohh, so that’s why you were late today.” Tucker said. Danny turned his head and gave him a look. 

“I’m late every day.” 

Tucker shrugged, picking up a fry. “Yeah but now I know why you were late.” Tucker pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket, as did Sam, much to Danny’s chagrin. But after glancing at the contents of the paper, Tucker sighed in disappointment. “Damn, I don't have that on my card though. I’m so close to Bingo.” 

“I got it.” Sam said as she pulled out a pen and scratched out a spot on her card. Danny gave them both a strained smile. 

“Glad to see that my life is a source of entertainment for you guys.” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Sam raised her hands in surrender, tucking the card back into her bag. 

“Hey, in our defense we offered to give you a card. Maybe once we’re through with these we’ll print out new ones. It’s honestly a lot more fun with them.” 

Danny rolled his eyes. 

“All I need left is  _ ‘attacked by Johny 13 on the way home’  _ or  _ ‘Skulker takes out frustration after a fight with Ember’. _ ” 

Tucker glanced at his card. “Shit, I got four left.” 

“Okay, but what’s even the point of the Bingo cards though?” Danny asked, looking at his friends expectantly. But they just met him with confusion on their faces. 

“The point... is to get five in a row.” Tucker said hesitantly. 

“And what do you get when you get five in a row?” 

“You get Bingo.” Sam said slowly. Danny groaned. 

“Ah, nevermind. Forget I asked.” 

“Oh hey have you also noticed the new kids around here?” 

“The what?” Danny asked as he snatched a fry from Tucker's tray. 

“The new kids,” Sam said. She nodded her head to the corner of the cafeteria, and Danny turned to see who she was gesturing at. It was a small group of teenagers, seemingly unremarkable. Two guys and two girls, all sitting at a table and munching on some fries as they surveyed the cafeteria with a guarded and expectant look. As if they were expecting something to happen. Danny didn’t know what they were expecting, but one look at them and Danny knew that he wanted to avoid them at all costs. If the text from Jazz meant anything, then he should keep his distance from them and just try to make it to the end of the day without any ghostly distractions. 

He turned back to Sam. “Yeah, I see them. Jazz messaged me about them earlier. Apparently they were at the library researching Phantom and trying to find a way to find him.” Tucker sat forward and Sam lowered her voice as she spoke. 

“Do you think they know?” 

Danny shook his head. “No, there’s no way. They can’t.” 

“Then how can they be here?” Tucker asked, his lunch forgotten. Danny rubbed his hands together nervously. 

“I don’t  _ know. _ ” He glanced at the teens again, and accidentally made eye contact with one of them. The girl with red hair and freckles. She was looking at him inquisitively, her brown eyes peering at him curiously, and Danny quickly ducked his head, breaking eye contact with her. 

“Maybe,” he began, “Maybe they’re just new students we haven't heard about yet.”

“Looking for Phantom?” Sam asked dryly, skepticism clear in her voice. 

“Yeah! And you know how some fans are. I know that I’ve come across a few fanatics like that.” Danny breathed in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves which seemed to tingle and buzz. “I’ll just avoid them for the rest of the day. If they’re expecting to find Phantom here, then they won’t. Eventually they’ll lose interest or give up right?” 

Sam glanced at them again and Tucker’s face furrowed in thought. “Yeah,” Sam began, the bell ringing as it signaled the end of the lunch period with a shrill shriek. “Hopefully.” 

* * *

Attending Casper High and pretending to be a group of new students was actually a lot harder than they had thought it would be. The team made their way through the hallways, trying their best not to be too noticeable by the student body, but surprisingly it didn’t seem to work. Everywhere they went one person or another looked at them curiously, as if they knew they didn’t belong there. 

That was the downside of trying to go undercover as a student in a small town high school; nearly everyone knew each other, and the sight of a new face would be one for questions. 

M’gann volunteered to go investigate the school on her own, invisibly, and see if there was anything worth staying around for. If the school was a dead end, then it would be better to know sooner rather than later and accidentally waste time that Robin did not have. 

Zatanna and Connor agreed and continued to search the school while Wally decided to run through the town. And as they bid their goodbyes, promising to comm in case something came up, M’gann slipped away into a closet and invisibly sunk through the floor. 

She barely paid the classes any mind, and just focused on trying to find anything out of the ordinary. She stretched her mind out across the student body, careful as to not make her existence known as she searched for a thought or presence that might lead her to the vigilante. 

Her search was frugal, and turned up nothing but ordinary teenage thoughts, but just when she was about to message Zatanna and Connor that the school was a dead end, a new presence made itself known. 

It felt angry and obsessed, and it was frantically looking for something. The overwhelming emotion almost made M’gann lose her focus on her invisibility, and she immediately withdrew her mind from the ill-intended presence. She gasped, and tried to regain her bearings, before linking with the rest of the team. 

_ Connor, Zatanna, we aren’t alone. Whatever it takes, get everyone out of the school now.  _ She thought. She felt Connor’s confusion as his voice came through the link. 

_ Why? What’s going on? Did you find Phantom?  _

_ No, but there's something else here. I don’t know what it is but we can’t put the other students at risk.  _

_ Understood.  _ Zatanna replied. A few moments later the fire alarm went off and the sprinklers activated, soaking everyone and everything in the school in a matter of seconds. Some of the students cried out in surprise as they rushed into the hallways with their books and bags over their heads, and in no time at all the school was empty of every student. 

_ Wait,  _ Connor thought suddenly,  _ I hear something coming from the gym.  _

_ I’ll meet you there.  _ M’gann said as she flew through the walls and floors in the direction she felt the presence coming from. But now instead of just the one, there were two. 

M’gann burst through the wall, entering the gym, and she was met with a sight she will never forget. 

A teen with dark hair and piercing blue eyes staring down a spectral being with metallic armor and green fire dancing across his body. The student was glaring at the spirit, his stance already positioned for a fight, and his emotions swept over M’gann in controlled waves of agitation and resolve. The ghost floated in the air above him, the anger and obsession clearly radiating from him, and M’gann realized that this was the presence that had alarmed her. And whoever this kid was, he was not afraid of the malevolent spirit before him in the slightest. 

The spirit cackled as it stared at the student hungrily from the air, and he raised an arm that surprisingly shifted into a cannon. “Ha! I have you now whelp! It will not be long before my years of hunting you finally come to an end.” 

The teen rolled his eyes and M’gann felt the irritation flare up inside him. “Really Skulker? You fucking serious? It’s been THREE YEARS!” And then something most unlikely happened. 

A glowing ring of white flared to life around the student, and in a flash, the dark hair and blue eyes were replaced by a shock of snowy white hair and his eyes became poisonous glowing green. The casual clothes he once wore had now become a slick jumpsuit of black and white with green accents, and an emblem blazed across his chest in an ethereal light. 

M’gann gasped. 

She had seen blurry photos and pixelated close ups, but the photos she had seen could not justly comprehend the sight of Phantom. 

Phantom floated up off the ground, his arms crossed and he gave the spirit a crossed look. “Do you really think you’re gonna win today?” 

The spirit laughed, unbothered by the dismissive words of the ghost vigilante, as he aimed the cannon at his chest. “Guess, we’ll have to see.” And with that, the fight began. 

Phantom ducked the initial shot from the cannon, and lunged forward to deliver a swift kick at the spirit. The ghost, or Skulker, as Phantom had called them, simply laughed and engaged happily with the battle, firing at the hero and attacking in combinations of weaponry and ghostly abilities. 

The longer M’gann watched the battle, too enthralled and unsure of whether or not her help would be beneficial to the outcome, the more intrigued she became by the similarities of her powers to those of ghosts. She watched as Phantom phased effortlessly through a missile and flew at the spirit. He dipped in and out of invisibility at a speed that even M’gann was having trouble keeping up with and it didn’t take long for her to realize that this was a battle that she did not need to engage in. 

It ended with Phantom pulling out a containment device and capturing the spirit inside its silver and green walls. He attached the container to his belt, and it looked like he was just about to leave when he stopped. He straightened up, flying at an equal height as M’gann, and before she had the chance to do anything, he spun around and aimed a plasma blast at her. 

M’gann ducked out of the way, dropping her invisibility and civilian form, as she avoided the shot. It just grazed her shoulder, burning away the fabric, and she could feel it’s blistering heat as it hit the wall behind her. She turned to look at Danny, his expression controlled as he hovered defensively, fists raised. 

“Who are you and what do you want?” he asked, hostility clear in his tone. But before M’gann could say anything Zatanna and Connor burst through the gym doors. Phantom cursed under his breath and M’gann could see the moment that Connor saw her burned shoulder. 

Anger flashed across his face and in a split second, he leapt up and tackled Phantom out of the air. The two fell and crashed onto the bleachers, and M’gann floated down to greet Zatanna as they struggled. 

_ M’gann are you alright?  _

The Martian placed a hand on her burn.  _ I’m fine. But I don’t think Phantom’s glad to see us.  _

Zatanna nodded and transformed into her suit, the casual wear fading away and being replaced by her magician’s outfit. 

_ Have you contacted Wally yet?  _ M’gann asked. 

_ Yes, he should be here any second now.  _

The girls were distracted from their conversation when Connor suddenly flew across the gym, landing on the other set of bleachers and splintering the seats. His head lolled to the side, and with a chilling realization M’gann knew that he was out cold. What could possibly have the power to knock out a Kryptonian? 

_ For now let’s take care of this.  _

Phantom shot up into the air, and at the sight of both M’gann and Zatanna, swept his hand and a beam of green plasma was sent their way. Zatanna rolled out of the way as M’gann dodged the wave of energy. 

“Etativel!” Zatanna shouted and she met Phantom in the air. He shot more plasma blasts at her, and ducked when she responded with her own magic aimed towards him. 

M’gann moved wires of metal, taken from the basketball hoops, and sent them to wrap around Phantom in an attempt to subdue him, but the spirit simply phased out of the metal just like a Martian would. 

“Would you guys just leave me  _ alone!?  _ I have a biology test in an hour! _ ”  _ Phantom cried out. He threw a punch at Zatanna, who blocked it, and when she responded with her own strike, Phantom phased away, flying a safe distance away from the magic user. 

_ Got any ideas?  _ Zatanna asked.  _ I’m open to suggestions.  _

_ Maybe, but where on Earth is Wally?  _

And as if he could hear their thoughts, which he most likely could, the said speedster zoomed into the destroyed gym in a flash of red and yellow, already geared up in his suit. 

_ Did someone say my name?  _ He asked, a smirk on his lips as he glanced around at the destruction. But his smile didn’t last long once he took in the sight of Phantom flying off the ground and glowing with spectral energy. 

_ Holy shit is that who I think it is?  _

_ Yep, and be careful. He’s pissed.  _ Zatanna supplied helpfully. And almost as if on cue, Phantom growled in frustration. 

“Jesus, how many of you guys are there? Can’t I just eat my gummy bears in peace without having to battle anyone?” then under his breath he said. “Maybe that’s also on the bingo card.” 

_ Don’t worry,  _ Wally said,  _ I got this.  _

Then he immediately began racing around the room, running in a circle around Phantom as the wind picked up and it became harder and harder to fly properly. And if the annoyed look on his face was anything to go by, Phantom seemed to be experiencing the same trouble too. M’gann turned intangible to avoid being hit with a rogue piece of wood, and Wally just seemed to run faster and faster, the circle becoming tighter and tighter and the wind becoming harder to maneuver with. 

And for a moment, M’gann thought that it was going to work, until Phantom’s eyes flashed a bright white-blue and he cried out. “Enough!” 

A brilliant flash of white shot out from his hands and ice formed on the gym floor. Spreading across the wood and all too quickly attaching itself to Wally’s legs, effectively freezing him in place. The wind calmed down once more, and Phantom was starting to look more and more frustrated with the super heroes. 

Wally wasn’t happy either with his legs frozen, and Connor finally started coming back around if the shuffling pieces of wood were anything to go by. M’gann knew that they couldn’t do this any longer, and that this whole fight was pointless to begin with, but her options were limiting the longer the fight drew out. She turned to Zatanna, an idea having formed in her mind, but M’gann was hesitant to do so in case it did not work. But after explaining her plan quickly, Zatanna gave her an affirming nod, and M’gann flew up to greet Phantom in the air. 

He glared at her, his eyes glowing brightly in a way that reminded her of her own, and his fists flared a bright green in warning. 

“Look I am really not in the mood to be doing this right now. So you all better back off and leave me alone.” 

M’gann breathed a steadying breath. “I am sorry, but I can’t.” Phantom sighed tiredly, but his eyes narrowed in determination. 

“Well, that’s too bad.” 

Phantom drew his arm back, ready to fire another plasma blast at her, when suddenly M’gann outstretched a hand and her eyes glowed green. Phantom faltered, his eyes drooping, and he fell a few feet from his place in the air. 

“Wha-” 

“Sleep.” M’gann said, and just like that Phantom fell the rest of the way to the ground, his eyes shut as sleep took hold of him. The ring of white that M’gann first saw when he transformed appeared again, and this time it turned him back into the black haired boy that M’gann first saw when she entered the gym. Wally and Zatanna watched, their eyes wide, as they watched the transformation take place. M’gann floated down and knelt beside Phantom. The atmosphere was quiet, minus the shifting of wood as Connor finally stood up and took in the scene before him. 

“So,” Wally said, still frozen to the floor. “What do we do now?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehhehe   
> honestly i had so much fun writing that fight scene, even though im not used to having so many characters involved. I hope it turned out good enough. ;)   
> Until next week i pray that you all stay safe, especially with the shit going down in the US right now, and that you take care of yourselves because you are loved and worthy of that love.   
> See you next Friday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have read the comments!! I have heard your critiques and ideas and responses and thank you all for writing them!!  
> I'm hoping that this chapter does clear up some things about the last chapter and that it lives up to your expectations because I had a hell of a time writing this.  
> Enjoy! <3

When Dick awoke a second time, he did not expect it to be to the familiar sound of the Cave greeting him. The twitter of bats echoed in between the stalactites and the distant trickle of the small waterfalls in the cave immediately soothed his anxious nerves with the sense of safety and familiarity. 

Dick groaned, and for the first time in over a week, he opened his eyes. The warm darkness greeted him, and Dick could not find it in himself to be afraid. The Cave always made him feel better, and this time was no different. 

But while he had the strength to open his eyes, his arms and back still felt stiff beyond measure. A surprised gasp escaped his lips as he moved his hand, finding the limb cramped. His neck ached as he raised his head, and Dick took a deep breath before moving his hand. It hurt at first, but after rotating it for a few solid seconds, it felt better than it had before albeit not by much. 

Dick laid his head back down, and breathed in and out. Counting his breath in breathing exercises that Bruce taught him before trying to sit up. His back immediately protested, the muscles stretched and contracting in ways they hadn’t in days and Dick groaned in pain as he struggled to sit up by himself. He held his hand out in hopes to steady a sudden wave of unsteadiness, but in doing so he ended up leaning his weight on a small tray he did not see. And apparently was not set on the table properly. 

And before he knew it he had collapsed and tumbled onto the harsh ground of the Cave. 

Dick cried out in pain, the rough stone digging into his bare skin and making an already uncomfortable body even more so; and as he opened his eyes again to look at his hand, he was greeted with the sight of a small trail of blood staining his palm. The teen grit his teeth together and forced himself to sit up once again, his body protesting all the while. Once Dick got into a semi-comfortable position, as much as he could despite everything, he breathed until his chest stopped feeling so tight. 

It was cold in the Cave, and Dick shivered. His bare back unprotected from the drafts and chills of the Batcave, and Dick wished that he had a blanket to shield him. Then almost as if his mind was read, the cold receded. A comforting weight hung over his shoulders and Dick felt much more at ease now that he wasn’t bombarded by the cold. 

He opened his eyes to the Cave, and was comforted at the sight of the familiar lights and computers offering their soft glow to the darkness. But despite the familiar surroundings, it looked like he was alone. 

Dick pulled the blanket closer around him, surprised at its softness, and looked up to try and find a hand hold for him. The table he had tried leaning on earlier stood next to him, and Dick reached up to grab the edge. His body ached and cried out at the sudden movement, begging for him to sit down or rest, but Dick decided that had had enough of resting for now. 

But right before he could stand all the way up, his fingers slipped and he stumbled away from the table. He crashed into the cot he had been sleeping on earlier, and that too slipped away from him. Dick found himself on the ground again, but this time sporting a sore butt. 

The teen blinked in confusion, baffled at the sudden events, but he tried to stand up again, this time leaning against the natural cave walls. Luckily not slipping the second time around, and he found his way back to the cot, when something peculiar caught his eye. 

The medical tray he had accidentally leaned on earlier, the one that had been set down next to his cot, appeared to be undisturbed. All of the instruments set inside of it still lined up perfectly in the way Alfred always likes, and the tray sat perfectly parallel to the table’s edge. 

Dick’s brows furrowed in confusion. 

_ But,  _ he thought.  _ I’d moved it didn’t I?  _

He stared at the tray, and leaned down to inspect it. The cool metal reflected easily, polished in just the way that Alfred always prefers it, and Dick looked at the tray to double check and see if he really did not touch it in the first place. 

And as he glanced down at the tray, his eyes adjusted and he saw his own reflection looking back at him. Blue eyes greeted him and the familiar ebony locks of his hair hung in front of his eyes. His cheeks looked hollower than usual, and there seemed to be dark bags hanging beneath his eyes that made his natural blue stand out more than usual. 

Dick did not understand why he was so intrigued by his own reflection, it was the same as it had always been. But this time… something felt different. 

The Cave seemed to hold its breath for one moment, and in that moment, he saw it. 

It was hardly a second. Barely longer than a blink. But one second he was looking at his own familiar sky blue eyes, and the next they flashed a bright purple. 

Dick gasped and jerked back, his heart thundering in his chest uncomfortably. The warmth that was laden around his shoulders disappeared and the cold of the Cave once more clung to him again. However the cold was the least of Dick’s worries. He leaned over the tray again, searching for his reflection and for the purple eyes that were never his. But once he did find it again, he was met with the soft blue. 

Dick placed a hand over his heart, praying for it to settle down as he sat down on the cot. He may not want to sleep again, but he definitely needed a moment from whatever had just happened. 

What even was that? 

Was that a hallucination? Leftover from whatever sedatives he was given? Was he even given sedatives in the first place? 

Dick shook his head. Maybe he was still tired. It wouldn’t be too far out of the ordinary if he saw things that weren’t really there. And it was most likely a trick of the light anyway, maybe one of the computers received a notification and the light reflected off of his eyes. 

Yeah. 

That had to be it. 

Because what else could it be?

Dick wrapped his arms around himself and tried to put the tray out of his mind. He should probably let Alfred and Bruce know that he was awake and figure out what happened to him. It was all still fuzzy and hopefully they’ll have some answers for him, not to mention that he was feeling hungry. It had probably been a while since he had a real meal anyway. 

Dick glanced around him and his brows furrowed in confusion once more as a thought settled in his mind. 

_ Where did the blanket go?  _

* * *

In the end, the team decided to bring Phantom back to the bioship, and all agreed that once he woke up they would discuss why they had come to Amity in the first place in an attempt to appear diplomatic and well-meaning. 

Connor wasn’t all too happy with letting Phantom onboard the ship, not after what he did to M’gann. But only after some convincing and reassuring that she was alright, did Connor begrudgingly agree to let him onto the ship. Zatanna also didn’t know how she felt about bringing Phantom onto the ship. The kid reeked of death and demonstrated to be powerful enough to stop a speedster and a genetic clone of Superman. That wasn’t anything to take lightly. 

Meanwhile, Wally was still trying to figure out just what exactly were Phantom’s powers and how the hell he was able to do everything he did from a scientific point of view. M’gann had told them all about the initial fight between him and the other spirit, and seeing the transformation with their own eyes seemed to solidify their theories about what Phantom might be. 

A meta-human. Or at least a specific kind of meta. 

Yet his similarities to Martian abilities still intrigued M’gann, leading to some wild, implausible theories from Wally. But either way, they all agreed that Phantom was not a normal meta, and they should proceed with caution in case things went south. So until then, they all awaited for him to wake up from the telepathic induced slumber. 

It was during hour three of waiting for Phantom to wake up did they receive a call from Batman, which had all the teens on edge about what the Dark Knight could be calling about. Wally reached out and accepted the call. 

“Bats, what’s up?” he said in a casual tone. But the anxiety was still evident in how stiff his posture was. Batman, as always, kept an impassive expression on his face that hardly gave away anything, but there seemed to be something different about this call. Wally couldn't pinpoint it, but Batman seemed almost... loose? Was that the right term he was looking for? 

“Kid Flash, report on your progress. Have you managed to make contact with Phantom yet?” 

Wally rubbed the back of his neck, feeling both proud and embarrassed about the situation. “We have made contact with Phantom, however he had proven to be hostile so we were forced to subdue him. We are waiting for him to wake up now before we proceed with the mission.” 

Batman looked neither pleased or displeased with the news. 

“Finish this mission as soon as you can. There’s been a development in Robin’s condition and it’s priority that Phantom gets here soon.”

Wally felt his heart skip a beat and he swallowed nervously, his mouth suddenly going dry. Everyone else held their breath and Wally stammered. 

“What-, uh, is-is he okay?” He asked, his voice small. The edges of Batman’s lips quirked upward. 

“He’s woken up.” 

Wally blinked.  _ What?  _ “He’s woken up? When?”

“Is he okay?” Zatanna cut in. 

“How’s he doing?” M’gann asked. 

“Does he need me there? I ca-” Wally said before the speedster cleared his throat and fell back into a more respectful stance. “How’s he feeling?” 

“He’s doing fine Wally. I’m going to inform Aqualad and Artemis of his development once this report is over, but it is important that you get Phantom here as soon as you can. We still don’t fully understand everything that happened to Robin, and since waking up, it seems like his condition has remained the same.” 

Wally’s eyes narrowed. “What? How?” 

“It’s unclear. But it will be in Robin’s best interest for you to complete the mission.”

The speedster nodded. “Understood. We will proceed as planned and inform you of any developments.” 

“Good. Best of luck, Team.” 

Wally gave a nod before Batman cut out and left Wally alone with his heart beating fast and his hands shaking. He was barely able to hold himself together. 

“Wally?” Connor asked, “You okay?”

Wally turned to face the Kryptonian, a watery smile on his face and relief evident in his eyes. 

“Holy shit,” he said, a smile brightening up his face. “He’s awake.” 

Connor nodded, a relieved smile also tugging at his lips. Zatanna sat in stunned silence and M’gann’s face lit up with the brightest smile Wally had seen in a long time. 

“Damn,” Wally said, a watery chuckle escaping his lips. “I can’t wait to tell him what an idiot he is.” 

The rest of the team laughed lightly at his quirk, happy to see some semblance of their old friend again. 

But just then, before the news could fully sink in, a notification lit up the main chair screen and M’gann looked at it, her smile dropping. 

“Robin’s not the only one who’s awake.” 

* * *

When the team walked into the makeshift room the ship conjured up, the teen was back to wearing his civies, with no ethereal glow around him or snowy white hair. And he did not look happy about it. He was sitting freely on a ‘bed’ and he had his arms crossed over his chest with his lips pressed into a thin line. 

His posture straightened into a stance that would've been intimidating for any other person, but it wasn’t for the Team, since they’ve already worked under Batman. 

“So who are you guys?” he asked, but it sounded more like a demand than anything. “I’m guessing you aren’t the GIW based on the fact that I’m not in some cage, and they would never send a group of primary colored superheros to get me.” the team exchanged a look before Wally stepped forward. 

“We’re the Team. An undercover covert ops team for the Justice League.” Phantom’s face fell into an expression of disbelief. 

“You fucking serious?” 

“Yes,” M’gann confirmed, paying no attention to his language. She’d heard her own fair share of foul language from the team since having arrived on Earth. More consistently from Artemis and Wally if she was being honest. 

“Wow,” he said, leaning further back into the chair. “So the Justice League’s finally acknowledged what’s happening here, huh? About time too, I was getting tired of being the only one carrying the load here.” The team exchanged a quizzical look with each other.

_ What’s he talking about?  _ Wally asked, completely lost. 

“Responsible for what?” Zatanna said. Phantom stiffened. 

“The.... the everything?” when the team didn’t show any signs of understanding, Phantom sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “The ghosts? I’ve had to protect this town by myself for years and the Justice League didn’t even do anything to help. Sure I had a majority of it under control, and yeah I get that the League is busy, but there were a few times where I could’ve definitely used a Superman,” he glanced at Connor and his shirt, “Or two.” 

“How?” Zatanna began, “We’ve barely even heard of Amity Park. If the League knew about the occurrences that happened here, they would’ve sent out the team a lot sooner.” 

Phantom laughed mirthlessly. “Yeah but they didn't, did they?” he studied the teens standing in front of him, a new wariness evident in his eyes. “So if you guys aren’t here about the town, then why exactly are you here?” the vigilante swallowed nervously, and M’gann felt the anxiety begin rising inside of him despite his neutral expression. 

What was he so nervous about? 

Wally sighed, and sat down in a chair across from Phantom. “Well, here’s the gist. We need your help.” When Phantom didn’t change his expression or posture, Wally continued. “One of our teammates, our friend, something happened to him. And we don’t know what. Now I sure as hell don’t believe ghosts exist-”

“Debatable.” 

“But you’re the only person who has any chance of helping him. So that’s why we’re here.” 

Phantom was silent as he thought over Wally’s words. His glare having softened to a thoughtful expression and his stiff shoulders relaxing. He still didn’t look all too happy, but now he looked a lot less like he was about to punch someone. The team waited with baited breath for Phantom’s reply, and Wally could feel his heart beat faster and faster inside his chest, almost making him feel sick. 

“I’m sorry,” Phantom began, meeting their gazes. “but I need more information than that. I get that you’re all superhero sidekicks or whatever-”

“Partners” Wally supplied. 

“And that you’re trying to be vague to protect each other, but I’ve been in more traps and mind games than I can count. And I’m tired of being a pawn in a larger game. How do I know that this isn’t a ploy for you guys to contain me? For all I know, you lied and you’re not actually here for your friend, but here to neutralize me and make sure that I’m not a threat anymore.” He stood up from his seat. “Hell, maybe the Justice League actually  _ does  _ know about Amity and have decided to send you guys to take care of it.” Phantom shook his head, his gaze breaking away and landing on the floor. “Sorry, but how can I trust you if all you give me is a vague story that may or may not be true. I have too much to lose.” 

The ship was silent as tension hung in the air, and Wally’s eyes darted around as he tried to think. 

“Now if that’s everything, I don’t know how long it’s been, and my parents are gonna  _ kill  _ me if I don't call soon, so I’m just go-” 

Wally threw off his cowl. 

The tension in the ship skyrocketing as the team stared at Wally and Phantom fell back against the bioship bed in shock. 

“My name’s Wally,” he said, outstretching a hand to Phantom, who glanced at it warily. “I’m seventeen years old and I live in Central City with my parents.” Phantom stared at Wally as if he was crazy. 

Maybe he was. 

“I understand why you wouldn’t trust the League, but please trust me when I tell you that we need your help. This isn’t a trick, and we have no one else to turn to.” The vigilante met his eyes, and Wally didn’t know what exactly he saw in them, but after a second Phantom’s hard gaze softened and after a beat, he grabbed Wally’s hand. 

“It’s… nice to meet you Wally,” he said. His hand reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously as his gaze flitted to each of the other team members. “And, uhm... I-I’m Danny I guess. Don’t really see the point in keeping my identity hidden anymore if you’ve guys seen me change, and besides…” he met Wally’s eyes again. “It only seemed fair.” 

Wally smiled. “So you’ll help us?”

Danny offered a small, wary smile.“Yeah, I’ll help you guys.” 

Wally could barely keep his happiness contained, and judging from M’gann’s soft expression aimed his way, she could tell just how relieved he was that their mission was a success. 

“I’m M’gann M’orzz, but you can just call me ‘Megan’.” M’gann said, following Wally’s lead. 

“I’m Connor.” he held his hand out to also greet Danny’s, who shook it slowly. 

“And I’m Zatanna.” the magician said with a small wave and smile. The tensity in the room lowered, and Wally couldn’t help but feel at ease knowing that they were all finally on the right foot with each other. It would make the rest of this mission much easier. 

But when Wally glanced back at Phantom, or Danny, he saw that his eyes were narrowed in thought. 

“What is it?” Connor asked, having caught on. Danny looked up at the team. 

“Well, I need to know just exactly what happened to your friend. So no vague answers, I need to know exactly what happened.” 

The team shared a look with each other. 

“We… we aren’t so sure as to what happened ourselves.” Zatanna said, sitting down in another bioship chair. “Miss Martian was the only one with him when it happened.” At the mention, M’gann’s soft expression turned sad and she turned to face Danny. 

“You saw what happened?” he asked. She nodded. 

“Yes, I was with him. I don’t know exactly what happened either though, it was all so fast.” 

“Then take it one step at a time.” Danny said, his voice calm and leaning forward in his seat, elbows on his knees. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. What’s the first thing you remember?” 

M’gann breathed a steadying breath and raised her chin to meet Danny’s gaze. “We were on a recon mission. Batman had found a rogue agency being funded by a mysterious benefactor, and he had sent us to look into it.” Connor placed a hand on M’gann’s shoulder and she gave him a look of reassurance. 

“We were only told to observe and collect samples of their work if we had the opportunity,” Connor continued. “But something went wrong, and before we knew it we were surrounded and separated.” 

“They focused their attack on me for some reason, and Robin tried to jump in to help ward them off.” 

“Wait Robin?” Danny asked, his eyes going wide, realization dawning on his face. “Robin’s the one who needs my help?” 

“Yeah,” Wally said. Danny raised his hands. 

“Okay hold on, hold on just a second. Tell me everything about the facility. What were you told about it aside from the rogue thing and mysterious funding?” 

Zatanna and Wally exchanged a look at the sudden urgency from the teen. “We were told that they researched spectral biology and its effects on human physiology.” 

“Do you remember anything about the inside of the facility? Like rooms, labs, or what the guards looked like?” 

“They wore white armor or business suits and dark visors. Why? Do you know them?” 

Danny clenched his fists and his expression darkened. “Yeah, I know exactly who they are. And I’m pretty sure I know why they narrowed their attack on you specifically.” He looked at M’gann. 

She blinked in confusion. “What, why?”

“Because they thought you were a ghost.”

Shock filled the room as the team all looked at each other in alarm and confusion. “Me? But I’m not a ghost, I'm a Martian!” 

Dnny glanced at the floor again, a hand coming up the rub at the back of his neck as his face flushed in embarrassment.“Yeah sorry about that, I- uh, I made the same mistake. It’s why I… attacked you... back at the gym. I’m really sorry about that.” 

“What made you think she was a ghost?” Connor demanded. 

“Well she’s green, can fly, turn invisible, and phase through things! And around here that's all the evidence you need to confirm someone’s a ghost. Plus with malevolent ghosts you have to place yourself as the more powerful one quickly or else they’ll all come pick on you to put it lightly. I can’t count how many times I got my ass handed to me when I first got my abilities just because I was younger and weaker than them.”

“But I also have telekinesis and psychic abilities.” M’gann argued. Danny nodded. 

“Yeah, so do some ghosts. It’s not too uncommon of a power for them to be able to move things with a flick of their wrist.”

“I can shapeshift!” 

“So can three other ghosts I can name off the top of my head. But look, you wondered why they attacked you and I cleared that up, and I understand the confusion because there is a distinct difference between Martians and ghosts despite the similarities. And we can get into all of that later because I think it’s really fucking cool, but what else happened after they attacked you and Robin?”

M’gann sighed, putting a pin in that other conversation. “I saw one of the guards throw Robin across a table of beakers, but after that it becomes hazy.” 

Danny bit his lip, and he looked like he was piecing together the final pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. “And there’s nothing else you can tell me?” 

M’gann shook her head. “The next thing I know, Robin screamed and fell to the ground.” her eyes glazed over slightly as she remembered what happened next. “Once I got to him I saw that he was electrocuted.” she placed a hand over her mouth, remembering the sight of her friend crumpled to the floor covered in oozing red and green. Connor placed his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into a side hug as he tried to comfort her from the memory. 

“Is that enough?” Connor asked the teen. But Danny still had his brows furrowed in thought and his eyes didn’t leave the floor. 

“No, there’s something missing here. If it was a simple electrocution then you wouldn’t be coming to me about this. So what else is there?” 

“Well,” Zatanna said, the first time she spoke during the whole conversation. “Whatever happened to Robin affected him somehow.”

“How so?”

“His heart is slower,” Wally said. “His body temp is low, he’s hardly breathing, and he fell into a coma.” 

Danny seemed to freeze, his breath shaking. He jumped off the bed and turned to M’gann. He walked over to her, his eyes flashing with a newfound determination and understanding. “Martians can share memories can’t they?” 

“Uhm, yes, we can.” she caught on to what Danny was asking. “Are you asking to see what happened?” 

Danny nodded. “I just need to see the moment when he was thrown into the beakers and when you found him.” M’gann straightened, resolve flaring inside of her as she looked Danny in the eye. 

“Okay,” 

“M’gann you don’t have to-” 

“If it’ll help Robin,” she said, interrupting Connor, “then I’ll do it.” She turned to face Danny and her eyes were consumed by a bright green and Danny soon found himself in a darkened room with emergency lights flashing around him. 

Being inside a memory was strange to say the least. Danny had experienced dream jumping and time travel, but he hadn’t seen memories yet. It was like seeing a half finished sketch, like the artist had given up halfway through the lineart and coloring in and was left with a patchy canvas of color. It was interesting and bizarre and Danny didn’t think he liked it. Luckily however he could still see what was truly important. He didn’t need to see every line on the wall or the tiniest scuff marks on the floor, because all he really needed to see was what M’gann saw. 

He turned to see a group of guards rush in, all suited in white armor, and Danny knew immediately where he was. From M’gann’s view, he saw Robin. Looking a little battered, but not too bad as he fought against a larger opponent with electric escrima sticks. Danny winced in sympathy when Robin got hit with one of the sticks and his arm spasmed painfully for a moment, but he valiantly continued to battle the guard. 

The memory switched away from Robin as Danny saw the fight from M’gann’s point of view. She flung a few guards, phased through a punch, and was doing as well as would be expected, but at the sound of glass shattering he turned around to see Robin standing up shakily in a puddle of all too familiar green ooze, and an unconscious guard. 

Danny turned away for a moment, occupied by the other guards in the room he, as M’gann, was still working on taking down, but at this point he knew everything he needed to know. A bloodcurdling scream laced with agony filled the air, and Danny turned just in time to see Robin collapse to the ground. His blood mixing with the green substance as electricity danced across its surface, and smoke trailed off of his cape. 

Danny heard M’gann’s cry as she rushed to Robin in the memory and it quickly faded away, bringing him back to the present. The sudden shift from patchy memory to full colored reality was jarring and left Danny feeling nauseous. He swayed on his feet for a moment, before the slight vertigo faded away and he was left standing in the bioship with the partners of the Justice League. 

M’gann looked solemn as she looked at Danny expectant, but Danny was too in shock as he realized what had happened. 

“How long ago was this?” he asked, his voice small. 

“Last week. Tuesday.” 

“In the middle of the night?” M’gann nodded, and Danny took a step back. “So that’s what that was.” he muttered. 

“What is it?” Wally asked, but Danny ignored him as he pulled out his phone. 

“Okay, I need to make a call real quick, but we need to leave as soon as possible. How soon till we can leave?” 

Wally stepped towards Danny, his expression hopeful. “We can get going right now, but what is it? Can you help Robin?” 

“Yeah, I can.” and then under his breath, that only Connor could hear it, he said “Holy shit I can’t believe this is happening.” 

“Do you wanna tell us what’s wrong with him then?” Zatanna asked as they all began exiting the room and making their way to the main bridge. Danny followed them, both in rapt interest and distracted by whoever he was contacting on his phone. They all sat down in one of the chairs, as did M’gann began to prime the ship for departure. Danny faintly smiled. 

“Oh, there’s nothing wrong with Robin.” 

Wally’s face flashed with confusion. “But what abo-”

“I’ll do my best to explain on the way, but right now we just need to get going.” he glanced around the ship and noticed the filled in seats. “Uhm, where exactly am I supposed to si-” 

A chair manifested before he could finish his sentence and Danny stared at it wide eyed, surprise and excitement evident in his reaction. “That’s so fucking cool!” he exclaimed as he sat down and strapped in. 

“So if there’s nothing wrong with Robin, then what exactly is it?” Wally asked as the bioship began to hum and lift off of the ground. Danny almost looked giddy as he stared out at his town while it began to get farther and farther away. 

“Well, it looks like,” Danny said, turning away from the sight to face Wally. “You just got another super on the team.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yesyesyesyesyesyeyesyesyesyeyes  
> im very happy with how this chapter turned out and i'm also a little stuck but just as excited for the next chapter.  
> I hope you all stay safe and well, and comments/kudos are always welcome!  
> Until next time ma dudes ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you've all had a tolerable week and im so excited to post this chapter!! I had fun writing it, especially the ending, and i'll explain a few things at the end of the chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The ride back to the Mountain was full of disbelief and unexplainable explanations. Danny told the team everything he knew, or well, everything he was willing to discuss, and it only led to them having even more questions. 

Danny told them the basics and about the Ghost Zone. How there was a mirror world parallel to theirs that harbored ghosts and mythical beings. Zatanna was the only one who took the explanation of the Ghost Zone in stride, having been immersed in the mystical for most of her life. 

“So, the Ghost Zone, is the term you use for the Underworld? Or the Duat?” 

Danny pressed his lips together in a thin line as he thought about what she said. “You know, maybe the Underworld and the Duat are the same thing. Valhalla I know for sure exists somewhere around there, because I accidentally showed up in their dining hall once. And it is possible that the Ghost Zone is the place that ancient civilizations believed to be the afterlife. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched.” 

Wally snorted. “That’s easy for you to say. I still think there’s no such thing as ghosts. I mean, spectral biology? Come on.” 

Danny shrugged, looking out the ship’s window to study the buildings and streets of Happy Harbor. “Suit yourself. But both me and my parents have years worth of research that would disagree with you.” 

“Uh huh,” 

They continued the trip with Danny explaining as accurately as he could as to what else the Ghost Zone was like and how it was related to Robin. He tried telling them about basic ghost abilities, all of which reminded them too much of a Martian’s, and by the time they had reached the Mountain, Wally was just about ready to lose his mind. 

“Okay, okay, hold on just a second. Like freeze for a moment and let me process what exactly you are telling me.” the speedster said as he stood up and collected his duffle bag. 

Danny looked at Wally patiently as the team walked out of the bioship and into the Mountain, his arms crossed and having transformed back into his ghost form to keep some semblance of a secret identity from the rest of the Mountain's residents. 

“You mean to say,” Wally said, disbelief clear in his voice, “That Robin, our little human teammate who has never shown any qualities that might suggest he had powers, is now a meta-human.” 

Danny rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance, the patient facade breaking. “No, he is not a meta-human. I’ve already explained it to you.” He took a breath before relaunching into the details. “Meta-humans, like you, already have the gene and potential to have powers where as Robin did not. In fact I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason why he’s still alive. Well, kinda. Who knows what would happen if a meta had gotten capped by ectoplasm and electricity. It definitely would not end well. And he’s not a meta-human but a  _ halfa.  _ A half-ghost! Like me!” 

“Okay, but you can’t be half-ghost! How does that work? You can’t be both dead and alive at the same time that’s just not how human biology works! Or any biology! An afterlife? Sure I can somewhat believe that, but being half dead!?”

Danny groaned. Zatanna nodded in sympathy, having been in the same shoes Danny was now in. “How exactly do you know for sure that Robin is now a halfa, anyway?” She asked, trying to give the vigilante some respite since he and Wally had been at this argument for the better part of the last half of the trip. Meanwhile M’gann was trying her best to understand and Connor had been lost about halfway through their trip back. 

“Because of what you guys told me and of what I saw in M’gann’s memory.” Danny said confidently. 

“Explain.” Wally said, causing Danny to huff in annoyance again. 

“Low temperature, slowed heartbeat, barely even breathing? Those are all halfa symptoms. A normal person’s heart beats from seventy to a hundred in a minute. Mine beats twenty-five or thirty max.” 

“And that’s it? You made your assumption based on those symptoms?” Wally said incredulously. 

“ _ And _ from M’gann’s memory.” Danny sighed. “The creation of a halfa isn’t a painless or easy one, believe me I know, and everyone reacts to it differently once they change. I’m pretty sure the exposure to ectoplasm has something to do with how you react after the accident. ” Danny paused for a moment and a shadow passed over his expression. “Me? After I became a halfa I couldn’t sleep for days and was conscious the whole time. I had no control over my powers, no idea what to do, and I was too scared to even leave my room because I didn’t want my parents to know. Oh man, I was scared out of my mind of what my parents would think.” he paused. “It was miserable and terrifying.”

That seemed to sober the team up. Wally had lost his exasperated edge, and took a steadying breath to calm down his agitated nerves. “So how many halfas are there?” he finally said after a beat of silence. 

“Three.” 

The team did a double take, Wally even spluttered. “There’s only three halfas in the entire world?” 

Danny smirked. “No, of course not.”

“Oh,” 

“There’s only three halfas in the entire universe.” the teen shrugged. “Like I said, it’s painful and not an easy process. There aren’t many of us.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Connor muttered. 

Danny turned away from the team and finally took in the sight of Mount Justice from the inside. The cave structures towering high overhead and the automatic lights shining on the rock. The team had arrived just after nightfall, and according to Danny, they didn’t have to worry about getting him back to Amity any time soon. Apparently his friends were more than competent enough to take care of Amity for a day or two and he had told his parents that he was going for a trip and shouldn’t worry about him. 

Surprisingly, they knew about his vigilante gig. 

“Wow,” he said, his mouth hanging open. “You guys live here?” 

“Not all of us, but yeah. Welcome to the Mountain.” M’gann said. 

“Cool.” Danny breathed. 

The Martian guided him towards the briefing room, where Batman would be waiting for them, having received the news that Phantom would be arriving at the Mountain. M’gann was more than happy to tell Danny fun facts about the Mountain as they went, and promised to get him something to eat as soon as they could.

“Of course,” she said suddenly a little flustered, “That is if you still  _ need  _ to eat. I know that when I first arrived on Earth it was a little bizarre trying new foods and figuring out what I could or couldn’t eat, and if you can’t eat what we have that it won’t be a problem to head to the stor-”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, politely interrupting M’gann’s rambling, a soft smile appearing on his lips. “And yes I do still eat. Still part human.” 

M’gann relaxed and mirrored Danny’s kind smile. “Right.” 

The impromptu tour was cut short as a blur of green shot out from a doorway and slammed into M’gann, who fell to the ground with a surprised yelp. 

“You’re back!” the green blob said, and Danny stepped back to fully see what had just attacked M’gann in a bear hug. It looked like a kid, about eleven years old, with green hair, eyes, skin, a monkey’s tail, and a giant grin on his face. After looking between the two, if Danny didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought that he and M’gann were related. They did have a similar face shape and the same eyes, but Danny knew that Martians didn’t have tails. 

Oh wait… 

They could shapeshift. 

Maybe these two were related. 

“Gar!” M’gann exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. “It’s good to see you too.” 

“How’d the mission go? Was it a success? Batman’s in the other room waiting for you all. Who’s the new guy? Why’s he glowing? Is he a meta?” 

M’gann stood up, dusting off her clothes before she placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Calm down. One question at a time okay? And this is Phantom.” She gestured at the ghost boy, who waved at the green kid. “He’s here to see Batman.” 

“Noted.” 

M’gann turned to Danny. “Phantom, this is Garfield. My brother.” 

_ Ahh, so they are related. Cool.  _ Danny thought as he gave Garfield a nod of acknowledgement. “Nice to meet you. It’s always cool to meet another Martian.” 

Garfield snickered, a knowing glint in his eyes as he flicked his tail. “Oh, I’m not a Martian.” Danny’s brows furrowed in confusion. He looked back and forth between the two siblings, one of whom was giving the younger one a reprimanding look. Danny could hear Wally chuckle softly beneath his breath from behind him. 

“Then, how are yo-”

“Maybe we can keep this conversation going another time?” Wally interrupted. “After the briefing?” 

“Oh right!” Garfield said, ducking away. “Sorry sorry! I’ll leave you guys to it. And M’gann? I wanna hear  _ everything!”  _ The Martian girl chuckled. 

“Sure thing Gar, I’ll meet up with you later.” 

With that, the boy smiled and scampered away, leaving behind an endeared older sister and a baffled halfa. Danny turned back to M’gann, a question already at the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t given a chance to ask as the rest of the group started moving forward. 

“Come on,” Zatanna said, taking the lead. “We don’t wanna keep Batman waiting.” 

Danny felt a lump form in his throat as he realized that he was actually going to be  _ meeting  _ the  _ Batman.  _

“Oh, uh, yeah. Let’s get going.” 

They continued walking through the Mountain, with so much nervous energy hanging in the air that Wally could almost swear that he could feel it vibrating. The team rounded a corner, entering the briefing room, and Danny froze, his heart stopping. 

There standing on the raised platform, with his hands behind his back and in all of his menacing glory, stood the Dark Knight of Gotham.

Danny gulped audibly, his bright green eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. He felt a nudge on his shoulder, and was shaken from his gaping. He cleared his throat, which echoed embarrassingly throughout the room, and he raised his hand with a small wave. 

“Hi.” he said

_ Fuck _ . 

“Phantom,” Batman began, his voice a low rumble. “A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, even if it is under such circumstances.” he turned his attention back to the other teenagers. “Team? You are dismissed. Report to Canary for your mission reports.”

Wally spluttered from behind Phantom. “Bu- but what about Robin? You can’t just expect us to leave after all that!?” 

“I’m not expecting you to leave and you all are not being kept out of the loop. But I will tell you information necessary when the time is right.” his gaze on Wally softened. “But until then, trust me on this.” 

Wally huffed, his arms crossed. “Fine,” 

Danny turned to the rest of the team nervously. Even if he’s barely known them for two days, and a part of that was a fight he now felt embarrassed about, he knew them better than he did  _ Batman.  _

M’gann gave Danny a reassuring nod and Zatanna waved goodbye. Connor nodded too as he left and Wally barely even spared Danny a glance as he exited the room. And soon, Danny was left all alone with the intimidating presence of a man (was he even a man?) who could probably kill him with a stapler. 

Danny gulped and stepped forward. “Uhm, uh yeah. So, I was told you needed my help?”

* * *

Batman had led Danny to a more private briefing room after his embarrassing greeting, which after some thinking, Danny thought was reasonable. The room the team had led him to felt too open and insecure for his tastes. It would’ve been all too easy to hide a bug on one of the vast walls and in one of many shadows and he had once heard a rumor that the Justice League was once compromised. Obviously not anymore, but the fact that Danny’s worries were put at rest was comforting. 

The meeting room he was in was much more comfortable for him, well as comfortable as one could be when engaging with the Batman. It had a few chairs, a desk, and a screen projector set up, but other than that it was barren. 

“How much do you know?” the Bat said. 

Danny licked his lips nervously. “That uh, something happened, to Robin. Something bad.”

Batman nodded his head solemnly. 

“That is correct. What did the team tell you?” 

“Enough to know how to help him.” 

Batman straightened, the solemnity in the atmosphere lifting and changing. Into what, Danny did not know. “You can help him?” 

The vigilante steeled his nerves and looked the Dark Knight in the eye. “Yes.” he said. 

And even from where he was, Danny could see the breath that Batman released in relief. 

“Thank you.” his voice heavy and laden with exhaustion. He turned his attention to the projector in the room and moved to turn it on, a holo screen appearing on the wall. A page was pulled up showing data that Danny was just barely able to understand. If it had not been for the years spent with his parents he doubt he would’ve been able to read it at all. But one thing was for sure; these were ectoplasm readings. 

“What can you tell us about the substances he was exposed to?”

Danny studied the numbers and information on the page, already noticing some differences. “Well, to start, these ectoplasm readings are more different than they should be. Whatever it was that facility was researching, they’ve changed some aspects of natural ectoplasm. Maybe it was to conduct an experiment or test some of it’s natural abilities, but one thing is for sure that it’s not normal anymore.”

Batman nodded, understanding. “So the chemicals Robin was exposed to will undoubtedly cause some side effects.” Danny resisted a scoff. 

“That’s one way of putting it.” 

“So what do we do to create an antidote to reverse the side effects?” 

Danny paused. He looked at Batman, confusion evident in his eyes. “There’s nothing we can do about them now.” he gestured at the screen. “This isn’t some kind of sickness or bug that Robin’s caught by accidentally being in the wrong place. Surely you’ve noticed by now that whatever happened to him is not going away. Maybe he’s already exhibited some ‘side effects’. I’m sorry but what’s happened to him has already become permanent.” he sighed. “If I had known just how big of a deal this was I probably would have tried to do something sooner, but it’s too late.” 

Batman crossed his arms, his head bowed and a hand coming up to rub his chin as he thought. 

“So then what do we do? What do  _ I  _ do to help him? Because there has to be  _ something  _ and I won’t do nothing.” 

Danny looked away from the screen, his gaze landing on the hard floor beneath him. He noticed a small chipping in the flooring. 

“I know this will be hard to hear, but I don’t think there’s anything that you  _ can  _ do to help him. Physically, I guess.” he sighed. “All I can say is that the best thing you can do for him right now is offer your support. Don’t let him think that he has to go through this alone.”

“But what is he going through? If you know exactly what’s happened to him then tell me.” 

Batman sat down in one of the chairs, the dark materials of his cowl lit up in a soft blue from the screen. Danny rubbed the back of his neck. 

He had already told the team the most of it, they were Robin’s friends and teammates after all. But it was different explaining the situation to his partner. Robin’s parental figure. 

The vigilante took a seat across from the Bat, already feeling tired from the explanation that was yet to happen; but looking back up at the Knight of Gotham Danny knew that he couldn’t give a vague answer to Batman. He was a parent trying to understand what he could do best to help his kid. Danny didn’t know what their relations were exactly, but Batman was acting the same way his parents did when he finally got around to telling them. 

Worried. Anxious. In need of answers. 

The least Danny could do was give them to him. 

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything I know.” 

* * *

“Okay! Okayokayokayokayokayokayokayokay take deep breaths. Try to stay whelmed.” 

Dick muttered to himself as he gripped his hair in an attempt to ground himself from the panic attack that was threatening to overtake him. 

He shut his eyes. Blocking out everything in his room before finally opening them again and staring at the mirror he was standing in front of. A curse left his lips once he saw that nothing had changed in his reflection. 

That being there wasn’t one to speak of. 

Hence the need to stay whelmed. 

“Fuck fuck fuck! This can’t be real right? I have to be dreaming. This must be some kind of hallucination or illusion drawn up by Psimon or something? I’m just stuck inside my own head!” Dick told himself. 

There was no  _ logical  _ explanation as to why he had no  _ REFLECTION!  _

He looked down at his hands, feeling the panic begin to set as he saw that there was nothing there. He could feel his fingers, feel the skin and the nails as he clenched them. Could feel the slight pain as the nails dug harshly into his palm. 

Dick knew they would leave the typical crescent shaped indents, but the lack of being able to see them made his breathing hitch and speed up all over again. 

A knock sounded from the door, startling the teen momentarily from his panic.

“Master Richard?” Alfred said, his voice calm and soft. Just the sound of it lessened the panic in Dick’s chest. “Is everything all right? I believe I heard a commotion.” 

Dick glanced at the mirror again, surprised to see blue eyes and pale skin once again as his reflection greeted him. He flinched away, his voice lost. 

“Master Richard?” 

“Uh,” Dick finally managed to choke out, his mouth dry. “Yeah, I’m uh I’m fine.” He turned to the door. “Thanks for checking on me, Alfred.”

“Always, Master Richard. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

“Okay,” 

“Let me know if you require anything else.” 

“Yeah, will do.”

Dick listened to the receding footsteps as Alfred walked away, and when he could no longer hear them, he turned back to the mirror. He leaned forward, once again studying the reflection for any hint of whatever had caused the sudden invisibility, and the action reminded him very much of a tool tray and of the Cave when he had woken up, having done the same thing after he came to. 

Ever since waking up in the Cave, Dick noticed that something was off. Little things that tipped him off and a funny feeling in his bones that was initially small but was rapidly growing larger and more worrisome the longer the days went. 

It started with him dropping a plate. 

He had gotten himself a snack and was walking back to his room when suddenly the cool porcelain slipped from his hands and smashed on the ground, scattering his chips and pristine shards everywhere. 

The thing about that incident was that Dick was holding the plate with both hands. 

Then he had tripped. Over nothing. Dick was not one to trip on his feet, with years of training as an acrobat in the circus and even more training as Batman’s protege, it was drilled into him that tripping was something that could get him killed in the field. But he tried his best to brush it off, blaming it on exhaustion, but the moment had remained in his mind, consistently nagging at him. 

And it only became worse from there.

His nights were bombarded by strange occurrences, such as when he would go to sleep one night and wake up on the bottom floor of the manor, with nothing but his pajamas. He had tried to rationalize that he sleep-walked the night before. But that excuse didn’t last long since he knew he never had trouble with sleep-walking before. 

He would trip over nothing or miss a step that left him falling on his face. The recurring incidents frustrating him and leaving him baffled. 

He dropped things repeatedly, and that led to Dick not even attempting to pick up anything fragile in fear that he would break them. Even the funny feeling in his body left him breathless sometimes. 

It reminded him of being on the trapeze. Weightless, light, the swooping in the stomach when performing a flip. The weightlessness he felt made his heart pound anxiously, for there was no reason he should feel like that. There was no familiar demanding pull of gravity, and that left him terrified. He would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly feel his body drop before feeling the cushion of his bed. 

Those nights in particular left him restless and afraid of sleep. 

And to top it all off, were the flashes of purple he would see whenever he saw his reflection. A bright, flaring violet that appeared in the corner of his eye and constantly reminded Dick that something was wrong. Yet every time he went to look for it, it never appeared. 

He felt like he was losing his mind. 

Dick sat down on his bed, barely registering the mattress dipping beneath him as his knees gave out from under him. He hid his face in his hands, focusing on steadying his breaths and using those breathing exercises that Bruce had taught a long time ago. He tried to picture himself somewhere calming. An old technique he had also used in the past, and the image of a mountain came to mind. 

It was somewhere in Europe, Dick could hardly remember anymore, and he had been young when he and his parents visited. They had suggested to see the local scenery on one of the days when they weren’t training for a performance, and had decided to take Dick up to see the beauty of the land.  And even years later, he could still perfectly remember it. The way the clouds curled around themselves and the sunlight breaking through the silver in the early morning. The dewy trees, still damp from the nightly rain, glistened in the pale light, and the smell of the petrichor still filled his senses even now. 

He remembered the way his breath fogged and the smiles from his mother and father when he pretended to be a dragon, and he remembered the chill that bit his cheeks. The snowy mountains and their hilltops covered in the white blankets had taken Dick’s breath away, and the sheer beauty of it stuck with him even now. 

That day was two months before his parents died, and it was one of his last treasured memories of them. He hopes to one day find and return to that mountain. 

But until then he will settle for the memory. 

Dick breathed in a deep breath, allowing the air to fully expand his lungs until he couldn’t take anymore, and slowly releasing it out. He focused on relaxing the tense points in his body and didn’t even realize just how cramped they were when he dropped his shoulders. 

The panic in his chest started to decline, and after a moment Dick felt like he could breathe fully again. There was still that wild confusion, fluttering nervousness, and unabated want for answers, but now Dick felt like he could ask them with a clearer head. 

He opened his eyes, taking his head out of his hands and allowing a sigh to escape his lips. His heart hurt and his body felt incredibly tired from the panicked exertion, but now he didn’t feel like the world was going to implode. 

He felt himself dip lower into the mattress, and was tempted to take a nap. But who knows how long he’s been holed up in his room ridden with panic and fear. He needed to get out, just for a little bit. Just to let his body breathe freely and move around. Perhaps he could assist Alfred with dinner tonight. He’s sure that the butler would enjoy some help and maybe he could learn a thing or two himself for future reference. It wasn’t a bad idea. 

Dick sunk lower into his mattress and his thoughts were interrupted when he got the sense that something was off. He glanced down at himself and yelped. 

His body was phased halfway through the bed. 

He jerked away, falling onto the ground with a thankfully solid thud, and placed a hand against his abdomen that was just in the middle of his very substantial bed. He stared wide-eyed, unsure of what exactly he just saw, but he knew that there was no denying it. It wasn’t a trick of the light, or some sleep-deprived hallucination. Dick truly was sunk halfway through his solid mattress as if he was a Martian. 

The teen raised his hand, staring at it quizzically and noting all of the fine details that had never changed. The scar on his thumb from a pumpkin carving accident, the nicks from training with a batarang for the first time, and the pale skin that rarely tanned even at the height of summer. Nothing had changed, yet just staring at it felt oddly alien. 

“What is happening to me?” he whispered into the empty air. 

There was no response. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehehehehehehehehehe  
> can you tell i had fun with this? But anyway,   
> I figured that since the story takes place two years after the Season 1 finale of Young Justice, that some things have started to change to where the story picks up in Season 2. Like Garfield for instance.   
> His mom died when he was about eleven-ish and since he was nine in the first season, then that would mean his changes have already happened and his mom has already died by the time this story takes place. Plus i am SO PSYCHED for the small Garfield and Danny interactions, and i am DEFINITELY looking forward to those. 
> 
> And i also figured that it would be best for the story, if Danny's parents did know about him. It would be hard to explain his increased absences and other things if they were still in the dark about his powers. And also, THERES NOT ENOUGH SUPPORTIVE FENTON PARENTING FOR THEIR GHOST CHILD AND TOO MUCH ANGST SO IM GONNA GIVE THE BOI A HAPPY HOME LIFE SO FUCK YOU!! 
> 
> but anyway, i hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter! Until next week and stay safe!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!   
> I dont have much to say other than i think this chapter turned out okay. A lot of it was done this week so i havent had the time to work on the next chapter. So here's to hoping that i can stay on schedule.   
> Hope you guys enjoy!

“So…” Batman began. Danny twiddled his thumbs, biting his lip. 

“Yeah,” 

The Dark Knight rubbed his chin in thought, leaning forward on his knees. He had been mostly quiet the whole time Danny explained, only asking a question or two for clarification, and he seemed to be taking it all about as well as anyone can, but Danny still remained nervous at the impassiveness on his face. 

Silence filled the atmosphere, until finally Batman sighed and leaned back, his shoulders pulled back and jaw set. 

“What happens next?” he asked. 

“Now,” Danny said. “We help him. Now that you know what’s going on with him, and since there’s no turning back now and no cure, I-,” Danny breathed a steadying breath. “I’m willing to train him.” 

Batman stared. 

Danny gulped as his proposal hung in the air.

“Train him?”

“Yeah, I’ll train him.”

Danny saw a shift in the Bat, and watched with confusion as a stony facade fell over his face and the parental vibe that he had seen from earlier washed away. It was now replaced with caution and allusiveness. It reminded Danny of a businessman or CEO who was just told something they didn’t want to hear. 

“Why would you do that? I am aware that our need for your assistance is evident to you and that any information you have will be valuable. But you’ve made it  _ very  _ clear to my team that you do not trust the League and that you even have grievances with us. And you have also already given us the information we needed.” Batman stood. “Now you have the option to go home, I will make arrangements to get you back safely, and if you so wish the League will never bother you again.”

“Wait, now hold o-”

“You have made it clear that you don’t trust us. I am simply doing you the same courtesy.”

“But I can still help.” 

“Mr. Fenton,” Batman interrupted, his voice cold. Danny didn’t bother showing his shock over the fact that he had used his real last name. It was Batman after all. “From my point of view, you are a below-the-radar vigilante with multiple offenses in your hometown listing from property damage, arson, first degree robbery, to assault of a public figure. You have had trouble in the past with the law and no one knows where you came from, what you are, or what you wish to do with the abilities you possess. The League has had afflictions with shadowed organizations and moles in the past, and it has led to nothing but grief for us all. It is my responsibility, as both a League Member and as the leader of this team, to make sure that that does not happen again. In short,” he leaned down so that he was towering over Phantom. “I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”

Tension laid heavily in the air and Batman straightened up again. “So I will ask, once more.” the eyes of the mask narrowed at Danny. “Why would you want to train Robin?” 

Anger boiled up inside Danny and before he knew it, he had shot out of his chair and glared back at the Bat with the same intensity. His gaze unwavering. 

“Because he doesn’t know what’s going on!” Danny exclaimed. “Right now things are happening to him that he doesn’t understand and he’s most likely scared out of his mind and he’s probably too terrified to go to others for help. He doesn’t know what’s happening to him, unlike you and me and even if he did know, do you really think he knows how to use his new abilities?”

Danny exclaimed in frustration. “Do you know what I would’ve given if I had someone to help me? I’ve had to learn all of this on my own, and yeah I’ve had support, but this life in particular is jus-... It’s scary and lonely being the most powerful person in a room and having to hide it, having to  _ feel  _ like you have to hide it.” he paused for a breath, his anger dwindling but the determination still set. “I understand why you wouldn’t trust me. Hell, I wouldn’t even trust me if I was in your position. And all of your points are valid, I’ll give you that.” Danny sighed. “But, there is someone out there who needs my help.

“I’ve gone through everything they did, did it all on my own more or less, and I’ve learned so much from it. But it’s also made me go through things that no one else should have to bear. So if I have the ability to be able to help someone who will go through the same struggles I did? And make sure that they don’t end up the same as me? Then fuck yeah I want to help them. It’s what they deserve.” 

Batman was silent as he watched Phantom, his face still a mask to hide the emotions underneath, and Danny crossed his arms, unsure of what to do with himself after all that. He was determined to help Robin, even if Batman said ‘no’. He would even go so far as to follow the Dark Knight invisibly all the way back to the Batcave. 

Oh fuck. 

Just the thought of doing that made Danny’s spine crawl with nerves. 

“You will be given a long range comm.” Batman said, jarring Danny from his thoughts. He blinked in surprise. “It should be strong enough to reach Amity from the Cave and the Mountain in case we need any assistance.”

“Y-you’re-”

“And for now you will stay in the Mountain for observation until tomorrow. Then we go to the Cave.” Batman began to make his way towards the door. “I will inform my colleagues of this development and will arrange for more efficient transportation for you so that the team will not have to keep going to Amity to pick you up. I will see to it that you have a temporary guest designation for the Zeta tubes.” he stopped at the door, his hand resting on the doorknob. “And I’ll let Robin know that he’ll have a visitor tomorrow.” 

And with that, the Batman walked out of the room leaving behind a shaken teenager.

* * *

Sunlight trickled in through the manor, the glass panes allowing the light to drape across the furniture and the polished wood of the floor and stair railings. The heavy curtains were drawn back, as they always were in the mornings, and the pale light glittered over the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

All was quiet and peaceful within the Wayne Manor. 

And nothing was amiss. 

Which meant that something was surely wrong. 

Alfred had become accustomed to the night life of his ward and his ward’s ward, and there rarely tended to be a day such as this. And Alfred was reluctant to admit that he had become acquainted with this life, one that he never intended to be good at. But when young Master Richard had not showed up for breakfast, Alfred hadn’t thought anything of it. After the incident that the young lad had been through it was expected that he would require some extended healing and time to rest, and there was nothing entirely unusual about either of his charges missing the first meal of the day. And a quick check on the young boy had confirmed it as Alfred saw him sleeping soundly in his bed.

But then an hour passed, and then two, and a few more after that. And soon enough it was lunch time. 

Master Richard also missed that meal. 

Again, it was not out of the question, but the fact that it had been a short while since it had happened, had the butler intrigued. After another hour had passed, and most of the household chores had been completed, aside from the ones that Dick tended to do, Alfred knew it was time for him to intervene. He walked up the stairs and made his way towards the young ward’s room, knocking politely on the door. 

“Master Richard,” he said. “It is nearing two o’clock in the afternoon, which even for vigilante socialites, is pushing it. It is time to get up.” 

But no response came from the room. 

“Master Richard?” Alfred said again. 

The room was silent again. Alfred slowly opened the door, curiosity and worry beginning to ebb at his mind. He did his best to quell it before it could run amok in his mind, but when he opened the door and saw no sign of Dick, sleeping, awake, or otherwise, he couldn’t help the sudden pang of anxiety that made his heart sickeningly drop. 

He rushed into the room, over turning sheets and looking through the closet, just in case this was a prank in poor taste that the young boy had decided to play; but even Dick knew better than to panic Alfred like this. 

When Alfred could not find his charge anywhere in the room, he exited the bedroom, his mind whirling even as he tried his best to keep a clear and level head. He knew that panicking and letting anxious thoughts run wild would do him no good in locating Dick, but still… 

That panic of losing a child, one you’re supposed to take care of no matter what happens, wears down on anyone’s mind. Even a mind as experienced as Alfred’s. 

After searching throughout the manor, checking every room, every study, every wing, every nook and cranny that he knew, and even looking outside, Alfred knew that something was very very wrong. 

He made his way to the Cave, climbing down the steps and entering the shadowy headquarters with a swiftness that should not have been possible. 

Alfred was also not a fool. He had noticed the sudden odd mannerisms from Dick and seen through the little white lies he had been told in an attempt to cover them up. He knew something was strange the day that Dick had dropped a plate. A good one too. It was very unlike the teen to drop anything, let alone something as fragile as that. And since then it had only grown and become increasingly worrying. 

The mornings when Alfred would find Dick suddenly sleeping on the floor. The unexpected flinches from the boy that came without warning. He seemed almost afraid of his reflection at times, and even with all the space that Alfred had tried to give him in order to heal and rest, Dick never came forward with anything. 

Even though something was  _ clearly  _ bothering him. 

Alfred stepped onto the platform leading to the main hangar of the Cave, already moving to pull out his phone. 

He could only hope that Bruce had achieved in finding the help the young master needed. 

* * *

Danny awoke to the sound of someone knocking rapidly on his bedroom door. 

He groaned and rolled over, using the pillow to cover his ears and bury his face deeper into the soft fabric. 

“Can’t I just fucking sleep?” he asked no one in particular as the pounding became faster and louder. When it ceased to stop, the halfa growled and threw off his blanket. “Fine!” he exclaimed. He stormed over and swung the door open, causing Wally to promptly fall through and land on his face. 

“Ah, what the hell?” he muttered. Danny crossed his arms. 

“Excuse me? You’re the one who woke me up at this god awful hour! Can’t I just fucking sleep without being bothered at one point or another?” he ran a hand down his face, rubbing his eyes in annoyance. “Just one night, that’s all I ask. Just one night where I can have a full REM cycle without any interruptions.” 

Wally picked himself up off the ground, a confused look on his face as he dusted off his clothes. “Uh dude?” he said. “It’s almost three in the afternoon.”

“I’m sorry, what?” 

Wally nodded. “Yeah. You slept for like fourteen hours.” 

“Oh my god,” 

“But that’s not why I’m here,” the speedster said, shaking his head and waving his hand. Danny tried to rub the sleep away from his eyes and attempted to get his brain to stop feeling like mush. He hadn’t slept that much and that well in a  _ long  _ time, so everything felt disoriented at the moment. After Wally snapped his fingers in front of his face did Danny realize that he had been talking to him. 

“I’m sorry what’dja say?” he slurred. Wally gave him a look. 

“Batman wants to see you in the briefing room.” 

Oh. 

_ Oh fuck.  _

“Shit!” the ghost hissed, turning around and throwing on his clothes from yesterday even though he was going to transform later. 

A string of curses and  _ ‘fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck’ _ s escaped Danny’s mouth as he darted past Wally and booked it to the briefing room that the team had brought him to when he first met the Bat. 

He summoned the white rings that made him transform and finished changing into his alter ego just moments away from the room. The familiar tingle of weightlessness accompanying the change and Danny could feel his hair begin floating gently as he entered the room. 

And there stood the Bat in all of his menacing glory once more, hardly looking any different than he had last night. He was leaning over a console and talking into a small comm. 

Danny briefly wondered if the Dark Knight of Gotham ever even slept. Maybe he slept upside down. The thought would’ve made the teen laugh any other day, but just seeing the dark figure standing in front of him made all humour escape him. A small gust of wind and colored blur out of the corner of his eye told Danny that Wally had followed and was standing right next to him. Danny gulped and straightened his back, trying to look at least somewhat like he didn’t just run here. He could hear the soft mumblings coming from Batman. 

“Have you found him yet?” a pause. “Well, keep looking. I’ll be there in a moment.” He turned off the comm and straightened up before turning to look at Danny. He shifted uncomfortably. 

“You wanted to see me?” he asked. Batman nodded. 

“Yes,” he turned away and made his way silently to the weird looking circle things that sat comfortably in the corner. Danny’s brows furrowed in confusion before jogging over to join Batman at his side. 

“What’s happened?” he asked. 

Batman frowned while he punched in a few buttons on the console next to the circle things. They reminded Danny of the Ghost Portal back home. 

“There’s been a development. And I need to get to the Cave as soon as possible.” He turned to Danny. “Until it has been taken care of, you will stay with the team and they will keep an eye on you until it is safe for you to come to the Cave.” 

“Wait what?” 

“The team has already been notified. They will receive a notification when it is time to bring you in.”

Danny crossed his arms, annoyance tugging at him. “So I’m like a prisoner here?” he asked, his voice tight. Batman turned his head to look at him. 

“No. Just under observation.” 

Danny scoffed. “Right.” 

“You will not step foot in the Cave until I know that you are not a liability. If you make any notion that you would compromise me, Robin, or anyone else in this facility, then make no mistake that I will not hesitate to neutralize you. If you prove to be a threat to our operations here, then expect a short visit. But if you aren’t,” he paused. “Then you have nothing to worry about.” 

Batman turned back to the portal just as it began to shimmer a bright gold, and didn’t say a word as he disappeared in a flash. 

Danny huffed and turned away from the portal, too annoyed at the moment to let his excitement of a real-life teleportation device deter him. 

“Sheesh,” Wally said. And Danny looked up sharply, feeling embarrassed realizing that the speedster was still there. “And I thought  _ I  _ was on Bats’s bad side.” 

Dany grumbled and walked past Wally. 

“Hey wait a sec!” he heard him call out from behind him. It didn’t even take a second for Wally to zoom up next to Danny, a curious look on his face. “What exactly are you so grumpy about?”

Danny gave him a quizzical look. “Did you not hear what he just said? I’m basically on house arrest until further notice.” 

“Okay but can you blame him?” 

Danny sighed, his shoulders drooping. He thought about the conversation he and the Bat had had last night. “No, probably not. But it still sucks being treated like a kid.” 

Wally chuckled. “Boy, do I get that.” he gave the halfa another look as they walked away from the briefing room. “But okay, I can promise you it won’t be as bad as you’re thinking. We do got a lot of cool things to do here.” 

Danny grumbled and Wally began going off about all of the cool things the Mountain had to offer. He knew he was probably making it a bigger deal than he should’ve but he couldn’t help it. After all, Batman did have a point,  _ a lot of them _ , but it still hurt just a little to be treated like a ‘liability’ as he put it. Danny knew he wasn’t going to do anything that might hurt the team, League, or Robin, but he was in the primary spot in order to do that. So maybe Danny should cut the Dark Knight some slack. 

After all, Danny would do the same. 

Wally’s ramblings were cut short when a rumbling interrupted his spiel about a souvenir room and Danny could feel his stomach clench painfully. Wally gave him a knowing smile and patted his shoulder. The halfa could feel his cheeks tinge green. 

“Alright I know that sound anywhere. Luckily we aren’t too far from the kitchen. Come on.” 

* * *

Hanging out with the team resulted in two conclusions.

  1. They bickered a LOT. 
  2. The bickering was a great distraction for Danny to slip away. 



After getting something to eat, and listening to Wally talk about how he had a fast metabolism and listening to a conversation between him and Connor about what local taco truck was the best, apparently a debate that had been going on for a while, Danny had slid to the corner of the room, watching the interactions. 

Then he had met two other sidekick proteges. They walked into the kitchen, still in uniform, and looking about as tired as Danny typically was. 

One was a girl in a green suit with a mask covering her face,long blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail with a bow collapsed at her side, and a quiver on her back. And the other was a guy that looked around his age with dark skin, tattoos swirling around his arms, and most notable of all, fins and gills on his neck. Danny straightened up as he saw them enter and froze when the girl locked eyes with his. 

Almost immediately her hand was placed on her bow and she fell back into a cautious stance. 

“Who’s that?” she demanded, her grey eyes piercing. Wally’s head shot up from where he was munching on a hot plate of nachos and he instantly hopped off his chair. 

“Wow wow, babe, it’s okay! He’s cool.” Then in a stage whisper he leaned over and said, “He’s here to help Robin.” 

The girl took her hand off her bow, but she still remained tense and in a wary stance. Danny couldn’t blame her. He took a step forward and extended his hand. 

“I’m Phantom.” he said. She eyed his hand cautiously, not moving to take it. “Sorry if I startled you. It’s not intentional.” he took back his hand, not feeling embarrassed by the denied greeting. Then at that moment the other guy stepped forward, opening up his own hand for a handshake. 

Danny clasped it gratefully. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said, his voice instantly calming the tension in the air. “I am Kaldur’ahm, or Aqualad.”

“And this ray of sunshine is Artemis.” Wally said. The girl, now dubbed Artemis, elbowed him in the gut and he doubled over, a cheeky grin on his face. Danny had to suppress a snort. The interaction reminded him all too much of Tucker and Sam, and with a pang he realized that he hadn’t talked to them yet today. All they knew was that the Justice League had come to talk to him, and he couldn’t say that he had done his best to abate their worries. He didn’t know much when he had left but he owed it to them to let them know what was going on.

He wondered if he could sneak away to call them. 

Or better yet….

Quiet words that he had heard earlier came to mind and Danny began to think about the encounter he had with the Bat this morning.  _ ‘Have you found him yet?’  _

An incident at the Cave that needed to be taken care of before he could go there. Danny had a hunch that he knew exactly what had happened, because hell, it had happened to him about a week or two after getting his powers. 

He remembers the sinking feeling in his gut and the worry on his parents faces when they finally found him in the lab. At the time he had made some excuse about sleep-walking, but he remembers the sheer shock and fear that had happened that night. 

It was all a hunch. But one that kept nagging at him now that he had thought of it. 

He smiled at the newly arrived members of the group and did his best to cover up what he was really thinking. “Nice to meet you guys,” he said. “How long have you all been on the team?” 

Wally hopped back to his chair and his nachos. “Since it first began. We were like the OG members. And of course there are others on missions at the moment or in their home cities like Batgirl or Bumblebee and Aqua-”

“You don’t have to give him all of our names you know.” Artemis said, he hands on her hips. Wally held up his arms in a surrender. 

“What? I’m just listing the other members of the team. Where’s the harm in that? I’m sure he’s heard of a few of them.” 

“Can’t say I’ve heard of Bumblebee.” Danny said. 

“Seriously?” Wally said. The halfa shrugged. 

“Still, the point stands that you can’t be so careless about who’s on a  _ secret undercover ops Justice League team.”  _

Wally was silent for a moment. He popped a chip in his mouth. “Okay I see you point there,”

“Thank you,” 

“But he’s already her-”

“ _ Wally _ !” 

Danny softly snorted, and as Aqualad watched with a fond smile on his face and Connor ignoring the bickering, opting for watching TV, Danny went back to his corner. 

“I’m gonna call my parents and let them know I’m okay.” he said quietly to Kaldur’ahm, who nodded his head in understanding. And once he was out of the kitchen, the sounds of Wally and Artemis arguing still resonating through the Mountain, he began to turn invisible. Then once he was completely off the visible spectrum, he phased through a wall and darted down the hallway, making his way to the briefing room.

He didn’t know how much time he would have or how long it would take the team to notice that he was gone, but he figured it wouldn’t be much. 

He made it to the briefing room without incident and made his way over to the zeta tubes. It was a long shot, but Danny recalled Batman mentioning last night about getting him a temporary designation number. It’s worth a check to see if his is already set up, but as always the universe was out to get him. 

“Shit” he hissed under his breath. 

What now?   
Danny knelt down beside the console, turned the panel intangible, and took it off. Having spent the better part of a decade with Tucker, lived with scientists who create their own weapons and tech from scratch, fought technology ghosts, and even fixed up his own tech on a regular basis, has taught Danny a lot about the ins and outs of technology. 

It took him a moment to understand and familiarize himself with the interior of the design, but slipping into the zeta beam console and retriggering the last used designation and coordinates to get into the Batcave?

A challenge. 

But not impossible. 

It had taken him close to a half hour before it was all set to go and he had slipped the panel back on. The better part of the last hour was spent with anxiety jumping in his chest and sweat clinging to the back of his neck. But soon enough, it paid off. 

The Zeta beam began to shimmer and spin and Danny allowed himself to smile in triumph. Danny watched with wide eyes as the mechanisms began spinning faster and faster, and he stared down the portal. 

“Huh, well,” then underneath his breath the halfa muttered. “Fuck it what’s the worst that can happen.” and walked through. 

* * *

Danny exited the shimmery gold light, a funny feeling settling in his stomach, and he struggled to keep himself from becoming nauseous. An automatic female voice echoed throughout the walls and the portal dimmed down, coming to a stop. 

The Cave was both exactly what Danny had expected it to be, and also something entirely different. 

For one… there was a giant penny in a corner. 

And a T-Rex. 

Why the  _ fuck  _ would  _ Batman  _ have a fucking dinosuar in his cave? Or a giant fucking PENNY? 

Could it be used as actual currency? 

Danny shook his head, bringing himself back to the task at hand, and he turned invisible once more. He had just broken into the Batcave and was more than certain that someone as paranoid and prepared as Batman would probably have some security measures. 

He gazed around the Cave, his breath catching as he saw the enormity of the cavern. Blue lights lit up the jagged rocks and the sound of trickling water could be heard echoing throughout the empty air. A giant desk with computer screens and lab equipment was in the center of the cave, with metallic platforms placed everywhere and staircases leading to each one. It looked like the stone and metal were fused together seamlessly, as if they had grown naturally with the cave instead of being implanted there at one point in the past. And from where he was Danny could see glass cases with suits inside. One of them empty and the other showing a Robin uniform. 

“Wow,” Danny breathed. 

He lifted off of the ground silently, hovering over the platform as he floated towards the main area of the cave with the computer. There stood Batman with an older looking man in a proper, well-fitted suit and greying hair. They both looked worried and Batman ran a hand down his face. 

‘We’ve checked everywhere, Alfred. I don’t know where he can be.” 

Ah, so it looked like Danny’s hunch about Robin missing was correct after all. The old man, who Danny assumed was Alfred, gave Batman a sorrowful look. 

“Do not worry sir, we will find him.” 

Danny turned away from the conversation, and floated up higher into the Cave, getting a better perspective of where everything was. He bet that they couldn’t find Robin because 1) Invisibility and 2) sometimes intangibility could get you in the most darndest places. And if Robin had his powers for as long as Danny thought he had, then it was about time that something happened. From here on out, it was just going to get worse until he learned how to control them or they began controlling him. 

Almost immediately, Danny felt his ghost sense go off. The blue-white mist escaping his mouth and a chill crawling up his spine. Danny turned in a circle, his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, aside from the strange memorabilia, and right  _ there.  _

There, on top of a small ledge, and mostly hidden by a protruding rock, sat a kid no older than fifteen in a set of pajamas and wearing a startled look on his face. And as Danny predicted, he was invisible. The familiar out-of-focus haziness that came with the ability outlined his body and he clung to some of the rocks behind him in a way that looked painful. Danny cringed in sympathy. 

This must’ve been a hell of a lot scarier than when he sunk through the floors and into his parent’s lab. He flew over until he was just in front of the ledge, before dropping the invisibility.

“Hey,” he said gently. But the kid still jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance. “Sorry sorry dude, but it’s okay.” he crossed his legs in midair. “I’m here to help.”

“W-what?” the kid asked, who Danny assumed was Robin. The halfa was well aware that he wasn’t wearing the iconic domino mask that Robin tended to wear, so his blue eyes were bright and wide as he looked at Danny in shock. Luckily though, Danny didn’t really care. Whoever this kid was, his real name, it wouldn’t matter for a long time. 

He nodded. “Yeah, you seem to have everyone worried. You okay?”

Robin gave him a dry look. “I’ve been stuck on a ledge in the dark with nothing to get me down for hours. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly whelmed at the moment.”

“Yeah fair enough.” 

“How the hell are you even here? Where did you come from? And how the hell are you doing that?” he nodded at the floating. 

“I’ll explain later, but how about we get you down first.”

Robin eyed Danny suspiciously. “How come you can see me?” Danny paused and Robin continued. “It wasn’t that hard to figure it out. Once I saw that I couldn’t see my hand or my body I figured that I turned invisible again. It’s dark in the Cave but not that dark.” 

Danny sighed, “I’ll make sure to explain everything as soon as you get down. Now come on, I can carry you.” 

But Robin didn’t move. He continued to stare at Danny with a glare that reminded the halfa all too much of an older Bat. Danny didn’t really have the patience for it at the moment. 

“Look, I can either take you back down and explain everything that’s been happening to you, like say intangibility, invisibility, tripping on your feet, dropping things, maybe even waking up in weird places too?” Robin’s glare lessened. “Or, I could just leave you up here until Batsy finds you himself.” 

Danny sure as hell knew that he wasn’t going to leave Robin up here alone, but he had had enough of suspicious Bats and just wanted to get to the point of this whole visit. He was itching to finally be able to explain to the kid what he was, and floating here now in front of Robin, Danny could finally understand the excitement a ghost had when they first met him after the accident. A new halfa. 

It actually was kind of exciting. 

“What’s your name?” he asked. Danny straightened up and tried to offer a reassuring smile. It might’ve been too dark to see, but the intentions were there all the same. 

“I’m Phantom, but you can call me ‘Danny’.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit that i liked some parts in this chapter and some parts i didn't, but what writer doesnt? Feedback is always appreciated and i love hearing from you guys!! 
> 
> Since i havent worked on chapter 6 yet, there may or may not be another chapter updated next Friday. I like writing my chapters two at a time so i may not post until im done with chapter seven. So i apologize in advance if you do have to wait. 
> 
> But until next time, stay safe, love yourselves, take care of your wellbeing to the best of your abilities, and hope you have a tolerable week! <3<3<3

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp! That's the end of the first chapter, and man am i excited to keep this going. And the best part is that im already ahead of schedule, writing wise! So that's great! 
> 
> Feel free to comment and leave kudos, they always make my day and i hope you all stay safe and healthy this upcoming New Year! 
> 
> Until next time!


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